Beirut, Apr 23:
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called on Lebanon to work with Israel to disarm the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah ahead of negotiations in Washington on Thursday.
The meeting follows a similar gathering last week in Washington, and is the first time in decades the two countries are speaking directly.
“We don’t have any serious disagreements with Lebanon. There are a few minor border disputes that can be solved,” Saar said during Independence Day remarks to Israel’s diplomatic corps.
“The obstacle to peace and normalisation between the countries is one: Hezbollah,” he said, adding that Lebanon could have “a future of sovereignty, independence and freedom from the Iranian occupation”.
Israel’s military has currently established a buffer zone stretching around 10 km (6 miles) into southern Lebanon to remove the threat of short-range rockets and anti-tank missiles toward northern Israel.
One person was killed in a drone strike on eastern Lebanon on Wednesday.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the drone strike on the village of Jabbour also wounded two people.
The Israeli military denied that it had struck in that area.
Since a 10-day ceasefire went into effect Friday, there have been several Israeli strikes while Hezbollah claimed its first attack Tuesday.