logo
Israel says negotiations ongoing over Lebanon border, prisoners

Israel says negotiations ongoing over Lebanon border, prisoners

Nahar Net03-04-2025
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday that negotiations are ongoing over the border dispute with Lebanon and the release of Lebanese prisoners detained in Israel.
After meeting his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot in Paris, Saar said that Turkey is playing a negative role in Syria and Lebanon, adding that Israel wants "the stability of Lebanon, the continuation of the ceasefire, and liberating Lebanon from Iranian occupation."
Saar's statement came after a wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting Syria and south Lebanon and a deeper military incursion into Syria.
Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Morgan Ortagus will soon arrive in Beirut to discuss the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire after having said that the U.S. will be "bringing together Lebanon and Israel for talks aimed at diplomatically resolving several outstanding issues between the two countries".
The sticking points are the release of Lebanese prisoners, the remaining disputed points along the Blue Line, and the remaining 5 points where Israeli forces are still deployed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Calls for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians at UN grow louder
Calls for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians at UN grow louder

Ya Libnan

timean hour ago

  • Ya Libnan

Calls for two-state solution for Israel, Palestinians at UN grow louder

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan at the UN headquarters in New York, July 28, 2025. © Timothy A. Clary, AFP France said a two-state solution is the only path for Israelis and Palestinians at a UN conference co-hosted with Saudi Arabia on Monday, which Israel boycotted and the US called a 'stunt'. Days earlier, President Macron pledged to recognise Palestinian statehood by September, drawing backlash from Israel and Washington . There is no alternative to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians , France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia Monday that was boycotted by Israel and branded a stunt by Washington. 'Only a political, two-state solution will help respond to the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. There is no alternative,' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the three-day meeting. Days before the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would formally recognise Palestinian statehood in September, provoking strong opposition from Israel and the United States. Luxembourg hinted Monday that it could follow France and recognise a Palestinian state in September, with the possibility that other countries could announce similar plans when the conference resumes Tuesday. 'All states have a responsibility to act now,' said Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa at the start of the meeting, calling for an international force to help underwrite Palestinian statehood. He called for the world to recognise Palestinian statehood, while later demanding that Hamas surrender control of the Gaza Strip and its arms as part of a deal to end fighting in the territory. France is hoping Britain will follow its lead. More than 200 British members of parliament on Friday voiced support for the idea, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that recognition of a Palestinian state 'must be part of a wider plan'. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the meeting 'the two-state solution is farther than ever before'. According to an AFP database, at least 147 of the 193 UN member states now recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988. In 1947, in a resolution approved by the General Assembly, the United Nations decided to partition Palestine, then under a British mandate, into Jewish and Arab states. Israel was proclaimed in 1948. For decades, most UN members have supported a two-state solution with Israel and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side. But after more than 21 months of war in Gaza, the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Israeli officials declaring designs to annex occupied territory, it is feared a Palestinian state could become geographically impossible. The current war in Gaza started following a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel, which responded with a large-scale military response that has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives and destroyed most infrastructure in the enclave. Barrot said it would be an 'illusion to think that you can get to a lasting ceasefire without having an outline of what's going to happen in Gaza after the end of the war and having a political horizon'. READ MORE Israel announces 'tactical pause' to fighting in 3 Gaza areas, aid airdrops begin Israeli unilateral actions' Beyond facilitating conditions for recognising Palestine, the meeting will focus on three other issues: reform of the Palestinian Authority, disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from Palestinian public life, and normalisation of relations with Israel by Arab states. However, no new normalisation deals are expected to be announced at the meeting, according to a French diplomatic source. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said US President Donald Trump could be a 'catalyst' to ending the war in Gaza and jump-starting the two-state solution, stressing Riyadh had no plans to normalize relations with Israel. Following his plea to Trump, the US State Department labeled the three-day event 'unproductive and ill-timed', as well as a 'publicity stunt' that would make finding peace harder. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said action was needed to counter Israeli 'settlements, land confiscation (and) encroachments on the holy sites'. Israel and the United States were not taking part in the meeting, amid growing international pressure on Israel to end nearly two years of war in Gaza. Despite 'tactical pauses' announced by Israel, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza will dominate speeches. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said 'this conference does not promote a solution.' AFP France 24

‘There is no alternative to the two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict': Watch
‘There is no alternative to the two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict': Watch

Ya Libnan

timean hour ago

  • Ya Libnan

‘There is no alternative to the two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict': Watch

There is 'no alternative' to a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians, France told a UN conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia. Days before the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would formally recognize a State of Palestine in September. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney welcomes Dr. Gershon Baskin, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Alliance for Two States, Middle East Director of the International Communities Organisation, Advisor to both Israeli, Palestinian and International Prime Ministers on the Middle East Peace Process.

Reaction to the European Union's trade agreement with the Trump administration
Reaction to the European Union's trade agreement with the Trump administration

Nahar Net

time4 hours ago

  • Nahar Net

Reaction to the European Union's trade agreement with the Trump administration

by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 July 2025, 12:22 The European Union's trade agreement with the Trump administration is getting mixed reviews. EU officials say they warded off a total economic disaster. But French officials in particular say the EU punched below its weight while economists say the deal is dangerously vague. The deal leaves Europe with a 15% tariff on most goods imported into the U.S., with some goods categories tariff-free, but no agreement on rates for key areas such as pharmaceuticals and steel. Here is what they're saying: European Commission Failing to reach a deal by the Aug. 1 deadline would have meant a 30% tariff threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, EU chief trade negotiator Maroš Šefčovič said. The main aim of European officials was a negotiated agreement, rather than a tit-for-tat escalation that could have included retaliatory EU tariffs on 93 billion euros ($108 billion) worth of goods, including U.S. agricultural products, steel and chemicals. "A trade war may seem appealing to some, but it comes with serious consequences, with at least a 30% tariff," Šefčovič said. "Our trans-Atlantic trade would effectively come to a halt, putting close to 5 million jobs, including those in SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) in Europe, at grave risk. "Our businesses have sent us a unanimous message: avoid escalation and work towards a solution that delivers immediate relief," he said. France: 'A dark day' Major exports to the U.S.: Aircraft, pharmaceuticals, luxury perfumes and leather goods, wine and spirits. Senior French officials on Monday criticized the accord, with Foreign Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin urging a European response in the services sector, and Strategy Commissioner Clément Beaune warning it underplayed the 27-nation bloc's economic strength. "The good news is that there is an agreement — our companies now have visibility and stability in the trans-Atlantic trade relationship," Saint-Martin said on France Inter radio. "But this agreement is not balanced, and we will need to keep working." He pointed to digital services as a key front in the trade imbalance. "Donald Trump spent months saying he wanted to rebalance a trade relationship that disadvantages the United States, but he was only talking about goods. If we look at services, it's the opposite. So it's up to us now to carry out the work of force and rebalancing," he said. "The United States decided to use force to impose a new law of the jungle that no longer respects the rules of international trade that we had for decades," Saint-Martin said. Beaune, France's high commissioner for strategy and planning, said on franceinfo radio that "this is an unequal and unbalanced agreement." He warned that "Europe did not wield its strength. We are the world's leading trading power." "When you look at it, the glass is a quarter full and three-quarters empty," Beaune said. Prime Minister François Bayrou was even more scathing, posting on X: "It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to uphold their values and defend their interests, resigns itself to submission." Germany: 'Avoided unnecessary escalation' Major exports to the U.S.: Motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the deal would give companies a more predictable environment to plan and invest — a key EU goal after weeks of back-and-forth threats in tense talks with Trump administration officials. "It is good that Europe and the USA have agreed and thus avoided an unnecessary escalation in trans-Atlantic trade relations," he said. "We have been able to preserve our core interests, even if I would have very much wished for further relief in trans-Atlantic trade." Asked about negative reactions to the deal from German business, Merz countered that it was met with relief by some companies and sectors. However, "it is completely clear to me that the tariffs that now remain — in particular the 15% against 0% for imports to the European Union — constitute a significant burden for the export-oriented economy of the Federal Republic of Germany," Merz said, noting that he had said repeatedly before the agreement that "there will be an asymmetric deal, if there is one at all." Italy: 'Positive outcome' Major exports to the U.S.: Industrial machinery, cars and agricultural products. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who has positioned herself as a "bridge" between the Trump administration and Europe, welcomed news of the tariff agreement as a "positive" outcome that avoided an "unpredictable and potentially devastating" trade war. But in comments to reporters on the sidelines of a U.N. food security conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she said that details still needed to be worked out and that she's still unclear what exemptions are carved out for particular industries. "I always thought, I continue to think that a trade escalation between Europe and the United States would have unpredictable, potentially devastating consequences," she said. Meloni said that she needed to understand what the exemptions might be, including on agricultural products, which are of concern to Italy, given its wine exports in particular. "So there are a number of elements that are missing as well, as I don't know exactly what we are referring to when we talk about investments, gas purchases." She noted that the deal in its current form is legally nonbinding in principle, "so there is still, let's say, room to fight." Hungary: Trump 'ate EU for breakfast' Major exports to the U.S.: Packaged medicines and batteries. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of Trump who has gained a following within the MAGA movement, blasted the agreement on Monday as a failure on the part of Europe's leadership. "Even at first glance, it is obvious to me that this is not an agreement," Orbán said in a video discussion with his party's spokesman. "Donald Trump ate (European Commission President) Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast, that's what happened." Orbán, a frequent EU critic, has been careful not to criticize Trump's administration for its trade policy, instead faulting the bloc for being unable to conclude a comprehensive tariff agreement with Washington. Orbán said that a U.S.-U.K. trade deal, which imposed a blanket 10% tariff on British exports, was more favorable than the one concluded with the EU. "The American president is a heavyweight negotiator, and (von der Leyen) is a featherweight," Orbán said. "The European agreement is worse than the British one, so portraying it as a success will be difficult." Economists: Less growth, many blank spots Jon Harrison at TS Lombard: "It is no surprise to find that trade deals agreed under duress in weeks rather than the usual years of careful negotiation leave a mass of detail incomplete and open to interpretation." Jack Allen-Reynolds, deputy chief eurozone economist at Capital Economics: "We think this will reduce EU GDP (gross domestic product) by about 0.5%, which is worse than we had previously assumed." "While the deal has avoided a much worse outcome for now, it remains to be seen whether it will last." Julian Hinz, trade expert at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy: "The deal agreed yesterday is not a good deal — it is appeasement. "While the EU may avert a trade war in the short term, it is paying a high price in the long term by abandoning the principles of the multilateral, rules-based world trade system of the World Trade Organization."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store