Netanyahu tells cabinet to start direct talks with Lebanon

[Twiglets1]

Reported in the BBC today that Benjamin Netanyahu says he's told his cabinet to start direct talks with Lebanon "as soon as possible".

In a statement posted on X in Hebrew, it says he requested this to his cabinet yesterday, in light of "repeated calls" from Lebanon to open direct negotiations.

He adds that the talks will focus on the "disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon".

Why the sudden spate of deletions?
I'm respectfully wondering if this a 'thing' on this thread.
Might have to ask MNHQ.

Yes, why were those posts deleted? I couldn't see anything personal or offensive about them. It is very difficult to have an adult discussion about these very vital issues when these sort of posts are being reported and deleted so regularly. Is anyone able to explain what caused offense to someone?

Perhaps in openness and fairness to everyone investing time in posting on @Twiglets1 thread, the person/s doing the reporting may wish to explain the reasoning behind their reporting, so we can avoid any future posts getting deleted and the discussion can continue?

Some people might find having their posts reported and deleted, a censorship of their opinions if they were not making personal attacks.

If the post was reported as being inflammatory, perhaps the person reporting might even be of too sensitive a disposition for any discussion on the ME, beause many distressing things are happening.

That is why we all hope the Israel/Lebanon talks in Washington lead to peace in Lebanon.

My post was deleted and all I did was post a link to a news article about some horrific things the IDF have been doing involving animals and Palestinians.

Lebanon’s Salam says state not going to be ‘intimidated’ by Hezbollah

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says his government is not seeking a confrontation with Hezbollah, but it will pursue its aim of disarming the group.

“There is no state possible if it doesn’t have the monopoly of arms,” Salam said, speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at a joint news conference in Paris.

“Having said that, we’re not looking for a confrontation with Hezbollah,” he continued. “On the contrary, we want to avoid a confrontation, but we’re clearly not going to be intimidated by Hezbollah and by those who stoke the flames of civil strife.”

Salam added he would continue to follow the path of diplomacy through direct talks with Israel.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/4/21/iran-war-live-tehran-shuns-talks-trump-says-us-blockade-to-remain

If you posted a news article There's no reason why that should be deleted.
If I was you I’d ask MNHQ why they are deleting news articles as that’s not on.

Yes you should ask MN @roses2

I've never known them delete a post just for posting a link to a news article.

The person reporting the posts hasn't responded to the opportunity to explain about their reasons either. Strange one that, you would have thought they would have been delighted at the chance for posters to not mis-step on a thread about an historic peace talk between Israel and Lebanon.🤔

Would the question to MNHQ have more gravitas coming from the OP themself?

No it is obviously up to the person who gets a post deleted to ask MN why.

This is my last reply to you btw. Our little spat is boring to me now.

Thank you for the quote and link.
What are your thoughts on the information posted?
Do you think it's a change on previous stances, therefore a new development?

I think it's more 'nothing to see here, move on' but happy to listen to different opinions.

That's what I thought. If someone is unable to note the horrific acts of the IDF without requesting a deletion, they probably shouldn't be looking at this section of MN. There have been repeated deletions on these threads which puts people off engaging and spoils things.

I'm so sorry you think that asking for clarification on posting on your thread is a spat. It was an attempt to encourage healthy debate.

Anyway, back to questions related to the historic peace talks between Israel and Lebanon, hopefully without resorting to deflection by calling questions a spat.

👇
Do these new domestic challenges in Israel change the Israeli and Lebanese positions in any way?
In spite of condemning the actions of an Israeli soldier in knocking off the head of a statue of Christ in Lebanon, how much has the actual action damaged the Israeli gov't on the world stage?
Does Bibi care?
Does it make the Israeli gov't stronger or weaker in its negotiations with Lebanon?

On your last post What are your thoughts on the information posted?
Do you think it's a change on previous stances, therefore a new development?

I meant our bigger spat and I repeat, it is BORING the way you keep trying to start arguments with me. Now this really is my last reply to you.

It might be bot accounts censoring information. I've heard this mentioned a lot on other forums where automated bots run by agencies (government, Russia, Israel, any company that has capabilities etc) are reporting posts which have a certain tone, creating posts, upvoting posts so they appear as trending posts etc and it looks like human activity.

Not sure if that is true or not if if it is true how prevalent it is!

And lo and behold ... yet another deleted post.
This reminds me of a vexatious litigation saga.🤔

Even if that is the case, at the end of the day it's still up to a (preumably) human moderator to decide whether the post breaks guidelines and therefore gets deleted.

The Times of Israel report that Lebanon will request a one-month extension of the ceasefire during its meeting with Israel in Washington tomorrow.

A Lebanese official who speaks on condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the topic, says “Lebanon will request an extension of the truce for one month, an end of Israel’s bombing and destruction in the areas where it is present, and a commitment to the ceasefire.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said today that “contacts are underway to extend the ceasefire period,” which began last week and is set to expire on Sunday.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-april-22-2026/

I wonder if the peace talks are the same?

If so there likely won't be a quick resolution.

In the historic Israel/Lebanon peace talks to be held in Washington, do you think it's possible for either side to just walk away? Nothing changes and the bully wins and gets to continue the bullying behaviour. Israel has continued to

Will holding it in neutral place yield better outcomes? I am minded that the US gave Israel USD 3.7B in military aid alone in 2025 and I think it was around USD12.5B in the year before, and looking at how the Iran/US talks are being scheduled in neutral Pakistan.

Reuters reported a Lebanese official saying tomorrow’s talks will explore a date for expanded negotiations, in which Lebanon would push for a withdrawal of Israeli troops, the return of Lebanese detainees being held in Israel and a delineation of the land border. (Guardian)

I don't think Israel will be willing to return the land it's taken to expand its border.

Agree
Its all about the land grab with Israel

Trump has announced that the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire has been extended by three weeks. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu will visit the White House in the coming weeks as the US seeks to broker a longer lasting peace deal.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations says he's not sure the newly extended ceasefire will fully stop conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"The Lebanese government have no control of Hezbollah," Danny Dannon says in an interview with CNN.

"Hezbollah is sending rockets trying to sabotage the ceasefire, and Israel – we have to retaliate. Every time we see a threat, we take action."

The Israeli military says its air force intercepted several projectiles launched from Lebanon during the peace talks, with sirens sounding in the Shtula area.

Hezbollah says on Telegram that it targeted the area in a rocket attack.

The Israeli military later said it had struck the launcher that fired rockets at Shtula.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0mjev4kn9jt

The latest news cycle as background to the conflict between Israel and Lebanon

https://news.sky.com/story/israel-accused-of-war-crimes-after-targeted-killing-of-journalist-13535269

Israel has said it's investigating the strikes and denies targeting rescue efforts. But it has been accused by Lebanon's prime minister of deliberately targeting journalists and obstructing rescue efforts.

Nawaf Salam said this conduct constituted "war crimes" and that targeting media workers had "become an established approach".

The report that a Lebanese Red Cross ambulance sent to evacuate casualties from the house the reporter had taken shelter in, came under a stun grenade attack and live fire, left me wondering about the Geneva Conventions.
Further research revealed this information, regarding the latest attempt to discuss them in Switzerland:

Israel’s Foreign Ministry credited itself with a role in the talks’ cancellation, asserting in a statement that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had worked “intensively… under the radar” to prevent the conference.
The conference was set to address the Fourth Geneva Convention, part of a series of international treaties agreed upon in 1949 after World War II, which defines humanitarian protections for civilians living in areas of armed conflict or under military rule.
(Timesofisrael)

So it's a bit like sticking your fingers in your ears and saying, you didn't hear it, so it doesn't count.