Lebanon President Says Israel Must ‘Fully Implement Ceasefire’ before Talks

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that Israel must “fully implement” the ceasefire between the two countries before beginning direct negotiations, adding that Beirut was waiting for Washington to set a date for the talks, AFP reported. Israel “must first fully implement the ceasefire in order to move on to negotiations… Israeli attacks cannot continue as they are,” Aoun said in a statement shared by the presidency. “We are now waiting for the United States to set a date to begin direct negotiations” with Israel. Despite the ceasefire, Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have both engaged in fighting, trading blame over violations of the fragile truce.