Berri Told Aoun There is No More One-sided Ceasefire: Al-Akhbar

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has reaffirmed that Lebanon’s position remains firmly in favor of indirect negotiations aimed at securing a genuine ceasefire, questioning the very existence of one under current conditions. In remarks to Al-Akhbar published on Friday, Berri cast doubt on claims of de-escalation, asking, “Is there actually a ceasefire in place now?” He pointed to the Israeli enemy’s continued failure to honor any agreements since October 2024, underscoring a persistent pattern of violations. ◾️ كرّر الرئيس نبيه بري لـ«الأخبار» أن «موقفنا هو مع التفاوض غير المباشر للتوصل أولاً إلى اتفاق حقيقي لوقف إطلاق النار، متسائلاً: «هل هناك وقف لإطلاق النار حالياً؟»، لافتاً إلى عدم التزام العدو بأي اتفاق منذ تشرين الأول 2024». وفي إشارة إلى عدم توقعه الكثير من جولة التفاوض… pic.twitter.com/cu2Kg4AP0l— جريدة الأخبار – Al-Akhbar (@AlakhbarNews) May 15, 2026 Signaling limited expectations from the ongoing round of talks between Lebanon, US and the Israeli enemy in Washington, Berri struck a cautious tone, describing himself as “pessimistically optimistic.” While reiterating his opposition to direct negotiations, he refrained from elaborating further, stating that he would reserve his full stance until the conclusion of discussions. He stressed, however, that any viable agreement must be backed by robust international guarantees, specifically under a joint Saudi-Iranian-American framework. Parallel to the so-called “diplomatic track” in Washington, Al-Akhabr reported, citing sources, that President Joseph Aoun is keen to assess how the national duo (Hezbollah and Amal Movement), and especially Hezbollah will respond to potential outcomes from Washington. Aoun contacted Berri on Thursday morning, Al-Akhbar added, noting that the Lebanese speaker firmly rejected the notion of a one-sided ceasefire or a return to the pre-March 2 situation. Instead, he outlined clear steps for any acceptable arrangement: a comprehensive and verifiable ceasefire, an end to Israeli assassination campaigns and the systematic destruction of southern villages, alongside a rapid, scheduled Israeli withdrawal, according to Al-AKhbar. This, Speaker Berri said, must be followed by the deployment of the Lebanese Army and the safe return of displaced residents to their homes.