Lebanon’s PM urges Immediate Ceasefire Amid Escalating Israeli Offensive

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has defended on Saturday his government's direct, US-mediated negotiations with Israel as the "least costly path" to protect the country.

Addressing a severe escalation in Israeli airstrikes and ground operations, Salam condemned Israel's military approach but maintained that a negotiated settlement remains the most viable route to halt hostilities.

He emphasized that these talks are strictly for securing an end to hostilities and Israeli withdrawal, not for concluding a separate peace deal, and that Lebanon remains committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.