Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on Sunday that the government was not planning to hold direct talks with Lebanon in the coming days and had not told the United States it was running low on missile interceptors.
Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported on Saturday that Israel and Lebanon were expected to hold direct talks in the coming days. Semafor also reported that Israel had informed Washington it was running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors.
Asked about the two reports, Sa'ar said: "For the two questions, the answer is no."
French president offers to host ceasefire
Also on Saturday, the French President Emmanuel Macron offered to host ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Paris.
“The war has spread to Lebanon, from where Hezbollah committed the major fault of striking Israel and endangering the Lebanese people,” Macron said earlier this month, following the resumption of open warfare between Israel and Hezbollah.
“Everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos,” Macron wrote on X/Twitter. Hezbollah must immediately halt its escalating conflict. Israel must abandon its large-scale offensive and cease its massive airstrikes.”
The French president went on to note that “thousands of people have already fled” the Israeli strikes. Macron’s statement comes after the United Nations confirmed last week that over 800,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon.
Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed the figure was even higher, asserting on Monday that over a million Lebanese supporters of Hezbollah had evacuated.
“The Lebanese government has indicated its willingness to engage in direct talks with Israel,” Macron went on. “All segments of the country must be represented.”
Following the start of Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion against the Islamic regime in Tehran, Hezbollah joined Iran’s attacks on Israeli territory by launching rockets and drones over Lebanon’s southern border.
According to the IDF, over 350 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed since.