The Lebanese government has approached the United States to broker direct peace talks with Israel as fighting intensifies along their border, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

Last week, Lebanese officials contacted Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, requesting that he mediate negotiations at the ministerial level to be held in Cyprus. The proposal aimed to end the current war with Hezbollah and potentially secure a broader peace agreement. Beirut also claimed that some members of the Iran-backed militant group were open to a deal.

Barrack responded bluntly, telling the Lebanese side to 'stop with the BS on disarming Hezbollah and demanding real action against the group's weapons before any talks could proceed. Israeli officials rejected the outreach outright, deeming it too late given their military's focus on dismantling Hezbollah's capabilities. One Israeli channel reported, however, that Jerusalem was still examining the offer.

The diplomatic push comes one week into a renewed conflict that erupted on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israel on the second day of the broader U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Israel retaliated with massive airstrikes, including on Beirut, and ground incursions into southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has since shifted to guerrilla tactics, prompting over 600,000 civilians to flee southern Lebanon and emptying strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Lebanese leaders, including President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, expressed fury over Hezbollah's involvement despite prior assurances from the group's political wing that it would stay out of the Iran conflict. In response, the government banned Hezbollah's military arm and ordered the deportation of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members from Lebanese soil.

However, Lebanese Army commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal has resisted deploying forces against Hezbollah during active combat, straining relations with the government and drawing U.S. pressure on Aoun to replace him. Analysts note the army's unwillingness or inability to enforce the disarmament order.

However, Lebanon lacks a dedicated U.S. point person amid the crisis, complicating outreach. Lebanese officials hope to build a post-war order free from Hezbollah dominance, but without active U.S. involvement, escalation risks remain high.

This marks a potential shift from the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which had held uneasily until recent events reignited hostilities.