Lebanese minister: Talks with 'Israel' may collapse over Israeli greed
Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salame said the upcoming Lebanese-Israeli talks cannot yet be considered genuine negotiations, stressing that “Israel” is primarily seeking to secure what it perceives as its “security needs” by deterring the Resistance and imposing full control.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Salame said Lebanon’s position remains focused on moving from a truce toward a ceasefire, and at most, ending the state of hostility. He emphasized that neither a security agreement nor a peace treaty is currently being discussed in Lebanon.
Talks with “Israel” focused on security, not peace
Salame questioned whether “Israel” is genuinely committed to any lasting agreement, saying there appears to be no real Israeli interest in the final political outcome of the talks. He added that Lebanon is capable of respecting a genuine ceasefire if one is reached, but raised doubts about whether Israelis are capable of doing so.
The Lebanese minister described what he called four waves of destruction targeting frontline villages in south Lebanon through drone strikes, artillery shelling, demolitions, and bulldozing operations. According to Salame, around 50,000 housing units have been destroyed since the beginning of March.
He further accused the Israeli regime of systematically targeting schools and hospitals in Lebanon, describing the attacks as a disproportionate response under international law.
Syria discovered “extent of Israeli greed,” minister says
Salame revealed that previous efforts had been made to establish a security agreement between Syria and “Israel”, but said the Syrian government eventually discovered what he described as “the extent of Israeli greed.”
He warned that negotiations involving Lebanon could face the same fate and collapse early on due to similar Israeli demands.
On regional developments, Salame said West Asia is heading either toward renewed war or toward prolonged stagnation marked by “neither war nor peace.”
Salame stated that Lebanon’s name had been included in the ceasefire demand issued in Islamabad, a move later confirmed by the Pakistani prime minister to his Lebanese counterpart.
Regarding Lebanon’s internal handling of the negotiations, Salame defended delaying the Lebanese president’s participation in talks until a later stage, arguing that the head of state must maintain a firm and uncompromising position throughout the process.