JERUSALEM, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Sunday that Israel does not intend to hold direct talks with the Lebanese government in the coming days.
His remarks contradicted a Saturday report by the Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, which said representatives from Israel and Lebanon were expected to meet for a round of talks within days amid the intensified fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The newspaper cited two sources familiar with the matter.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to the Bedouin town of Zarzir in northern Israel, where 58 people were reportedly injured by an Iranian missile strike on Thursday night, Saar said Israel expects "the Lebanese government to take serious steps to stop Hezbollah from firing at Israel."
Regarding the war with Iran, Saar said "Israel and the United States have a shared determination to continue the fight against Iran until our goals are achieved."
He added that, contrary to several media reports, Israel has no shortage of missile interceptors.
According to the Haaretz report, the talks between Israel and Lebanon could take place in Cyprus or Paris, with U.S. involvement.
The development came amid heightened regional tensions after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting from Feb. 28, to which Iran and Iran-aligned groups, including Hezbollah, responded with attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East.
Hezbollah announced the launch of rockets from Lebanon toward Israel on March 2 for the first time since a ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024. Israel subsequently launched an offensive military campaign against the group, carrying out intensive airstrikes on multiple areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut's southern suburbs. ■
