Lebanon Demands Israel Withdrawal Timeline Before Talks in Washington May 14-15

Lebanon is pressing for “peace, not normalization” with Israel and says the “minimum of our demands is a timeline for Israel's withdrawal,” as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam links any new talks to stabilizing the ceasefire.

Salam said in a Wednesday press interview that “stabilizing the ceasefire will form the basis for any new round of negotiations that may be held in Washington,” while he added that “talk of any possible meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains premature.”

Al-Jazeera Net

The negotiation track is framed around full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, with Salam saying the minimum requirement in negotiations is “a timetable for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.”

A U.S. State Department official said Israel and Lebanon will hold talks in Washington on May 14 and 15, and CNN Arabic reported that the third round of talks is scheduled for Thursday and Friday next in Washington, D.C.

In parallel, the fragile ceasefire is under “enormous pressure,” with CNN Arabic citing Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon continuing and Hezbollah attacks on Israeli forces ongoing, and noting that Israel carried out its first airstrike on Beirut since the ceasefire took effect.

Lebanese officials and allied voices stress that direct talks must not substitute for a ceasefire, with Asharq reporting that Hezbollah announces its opposition to direct talks with Israel and its refusal to begin any negotiations before a full ceasefire.

Salam told reporters that “negotiating under fire happened during the last war in 2024,” and he said the American mediator Amos Hochstein visited Lebanon during the war to reach a ceasefire, which he linked to the “November 2024 agreement.”

Al-Jazeera Net

In the same reporting, Salam argued that Lebanon’s minimum requirement is “a timetable for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon,” and he said Lebanon will reassess a plan to restrict weapons prepared by the Lebanese Army based on the government’s decision.

Al Jazeera Net quoted a Lebanese official saying direct negotiations with Israel are planned for next week in Washington under an American pledge to end attacks “culminating in a moment of full ceasefire,” while the official said the track “will not lead to a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel.”

That Al Jazeera Net framing also included a U.S. State Department official’s announcement that officials from Israel and Lebanon will hold a third round of talks in Washington on May 14–15, while the Lebanese official described Lebanon’s red lines as a permanent halt to attacks followed by a complete Israeli withdrawal.

As Washington prepares the next round, reporting describes deliberate Israeli escalation on the ground, with one account saying Israel is acting to “dislodg[ing] any informal understanding” about neutralizing Beirut from direct targeting.

“(CNN) -- The third round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday next in Washington, D”

CNN Arabic

The same source said Tel Aviv “continues to practically reject any negotiation that is preceded by an actual stabilization of a ceasefire,” and it described continued strikes, assassinations, and “deep air raids inside Lebanon” alongside preparations for talks.

France 24 reported that Israel continues to bomb targets it says belong to Hezbollah despite the ceasefire, and it quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tying a strike to deterrence policy with “there is no immunity for any terrorist.”

On the diplomatic timetable, the U.S. State Department official cited by multiple outlets set the talks for May 14 and 15, while Asharq reported that Salam said any high-level meeting with Netanyahu is premature and should be linked to achieving outcomes in negotiations.

France 24 also reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described prospects of reaching a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon as “very likely,” while it said the Hezbollah issue constitutes the only remaining point of disagreement, keeping the negotiations tied to the ceasefire and withdrawal demands.