Berri refuses to negotiate with Israel before stopping the war in Lebanon

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that negotiations cannot be held with Israel without stopping the war that is still raging in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire.

Berri’s statements, which came at a time when Israeli forces ordered residents of four other villages in southern Lebanon to leave, highlight the challenges facing American efforts to bring about peace between Lebanon and Israel. The two sides held rare direct talks last month.

Berri told the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar, according to a summary of his statements published by his office, that the priority must be “stopping the war before any political path” and that “any negotiation without guarantees to stop the aggression is rejected.”

He stressed that “Israeli withdrawal is a basic condition before discussing any settlement.”

Today, Monday, the Israeli army issued a warning to residents of four villages located outside the security zone that it declared unilaterally, asking them to leave their homes immediately, and accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire and said that it intends to move against it.