Israel rejects U.S. initiative to revive Lebanon talks

Proposed talks between Lebanon and Israel have collapsed after Israel rejected a U.S. initiative aimed at reviving talks, Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said.

According to him, the only remaining channel is a "mechanism" involving representatives of countries overseeing the ceasefire that ended last year's 13-month conflict between the two sides, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

The speaker said U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack had proposed a two-month halt to Israeli operations, followed by a withdrawal from Lebanese territory and negotiations on maritime and land borders.

"Israel officially rejected the U.S. initiative," Nabih Berri said.