Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar speaks during a press conference after talks with his Serbian counterpart Marko Djuric in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar speaks during a press conference after talks with his Serbian counterpart Marko Djuric in Belgrade, Serbia, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
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Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is floating the idea of cooperation with the Lebanese government to dismantle Hezbollah.
“Hezbollah has also its financial roots, there are a lot of dimensions holding this organization, practically keeping Lebanon under Iranian occupation,” Saar said Tuesday, adding that the Lebanese government itself views the Iran-backed militant group as “unlawful.”
Israel and Lebanon are set to begin their first direct talks in decades Tuesday, with large gaps in what each side wants from the negotiations.
Lebanese officials want a ceasefire, while Israeli officials have said they are not interested in a ceasefire but want the talks to focus on disarming Hezbollah as an essential step toward a potential peace deal between the two countries.
Hezbollah militant group renewed its war with Israel on Mar. 2, when it fired missiles into northern Israel. About 2,088 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since then, according to figures from Lebanon’s Health Ministry.