Direct talks with Israel only way to regain Lebanese territory: Foreign minister

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said Wednesday that direct negotiations with Israel under US auspices are the only way to regain Lebanese territory and allow residents to return to their villages.

Rajji made the remarks during a discussion organized by the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, according to a Lebanese Foreign Ministry statement.

The discussion, chaired by former US diplomat Elliott Abrams, was attended by council members, journalists and representatives of research centers, the ministry said.

It addressed the situation in Lebanon, reasons for delays in implementing the framework agreement, Hezbollah's weapons, the future of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and relations with Syria's new government, the statement said.

Rajji said Lebanon's priority is to ensure stability, adding that the Lebanese want their country to once again become a cultural, tourism and economic hub in the region.

However, he said this could not be achieved while weapons exist outside state authority.

He described the Lebanese government's decision to restrict weapons to state control as "courageous," saying Lebanon's stability and prosperity require "ending the occupation and Hezbollah handing over its weapons."

"We want peace with all our neighbors," Rajji said.

He also stressed that Iran must "stop interfering in Lebanese affairs" and said the Lebanese army is the country's "only hope."

Rajji welcomed US assistance to the Lebanese military and expressed hope that the support would continue.

He reiterated the government's commitment to direct negotiations with Israel under US auspices, describing them as "the only way to regain the territories and allow residents to return to their villages."

On Sunday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem called on Lebanese authorities to "freeze direct negotiations with Israel and move toward indirect negotiations" in order to halt what he described as concessions and correct the course of the talks.

Direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began on April 14, 2026, with a meeting in Washington under US auspices.

Subsequent rounds addressed a ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, borders, prisoners and missing persons.

On June 26, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a US-sponsored "framework formula" in Washington providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the deployment of the Lebanese army in areas vacated by Israeli forces.

Despite the agreement, Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon have continued, while Israel still occupies areas in the south, some held for decades and others seized during recent wars and military operations.

Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 4,386 people and injured 12,413 others, while displacing more than 1 million people, according to Lebanese authorities.