Lebanon's president calls for talks with Israel on plan to end Hezbollah conflict

Lebanon's president has called for direct negotiations with Israel as part of a proposal to end the escalating conflict with Hezbollah, while sharply criticising the Iran-backed group for dragging the country into a wider regional war. A spokesperson for President Joseph Aoun told the BBC that Lebanon was ready to negotiate, but not while the country remained under Israeli fire. Speaking during a virtual meeting with senior European Union officials on Monday, Aoun outlined what he described as a path towards "permanent security and stability arrangements on our borders". Israeli officials have shown little sign of backing negotiations, and the government did not immediately comment. Under the Lebanese president's four-point plan, a "complete truce" would coincide with the disarmament of Hezbollah, and international assistance for the Lebanese Armed Forces to help them regain control of "areas of tension". "And simultaneously, Lebanon and Israel [to] begin direct negotiations under international sponsorship, in order to execute the aforementioned plan," a statement said. Aoun said the war had taken a devastating toll on Lebanon, with more than 700,000 people displaced, including 200