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Abbas: PA Ready for Negotiations Once Annexation Plan Halted

Boris Johnson, then British Foreign Secretary, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in 2017 (Getty)
Boris Johnson, then British Foreign Secretary, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in 2017 (Getty)
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Abbas: PA Ready for Negotiations Once Annexation Plan Halted

Boris Johnson, then British Foreign Secretary, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in 2017 (Getty)
Boris Johnson, then British Foreign Secretary, with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in 2017 (Getty)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he is ready to resume stalled peace talks with Israel once it halts the annexation of large parts of the occupied West Bank.

His remarks were made on Wednesday in a telephone call with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in which he affirmed that resumed negotiations will be based on international resolutions and through the mediation of the International Quartet.

Abbas also hailed Britain’s position that supports achieving peace based on international legitimacy and rejects the annexation plan.

Johnson affirmed the UK’s commitment to the two-state solution and the implementation of UN resolutions, as well as his rejection of any measures taken by Israel to annex Palestinian lands.

He stressed the importance of reviving the peace process, adding that his country will continue to support peace.

Abbas’s announcement comes in light of efforts exerted by several countries to push the negotiations as an alternative to a possible confrontation once Israel annexes parts of the West Bank.

According to a letter sent to the international peacemaking Quartet (European Union, United Nations, Russia and the United States) earlier this month, Palestinians are “ready to resume direct bilateral negotiations where they stopped” in 2014.

“We are ready to have our state with a limited number of weapons and a powerful police force to uphold law and order,” it said, adding that it would accept an international force such as NATO, mandated by the UN, to monitor compliance with any eventual peace treaty.

The text also proposed “minor border changes that will have been mutually agreed, based on the borders of June 4, 1967”, when Israeli forces occupied the West Bank.
Israel has not yet implemented the annexation plan that was scheduled for early July due to internal disputes over the plan, and with the United States as well, and a growing large international opposition.

According to the European Union Representative to Palestine Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, the EU won’t recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied since 1967.

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Hezbollah Mulls Handing Its Heavy Weapons to Lebanese Army

A UNIFIL patrol in the border town of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon, April 6 (AFP) 
A UNIFIL patrol in the border town of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon, April 6 (AFP) 
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Hezbollah Mulls Handing Its Heavy Weapons to Lebanese Army

A UNIFIL patrol in the border town of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon, April 6 (AFP) 
A UNIFIL patrol in the border town of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon, April 6 (AFP) 

Lebanon has linked any move toward resolving the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons to Israel’s withdrawal from territories it still occupies in southern Lebanon and the return of Lebanese prisoners.

This position comes amid increasing diplomatic activity from Lebanese officials following a recent visit to Beirut by Morgan Ortagus, Deputy US Special Envoy to the Middle East, who urged Lebanese authorities to address the Hezbollah arms file swiftly.

A Lebanese ministerial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the current priority is “Israel’s withdrawal from the points it still occupies in the south, the return of Lebanese prisoners, and resolving the 13 disputed land border points”—a file unresolved since 2006.

The source added: “If progress is made on this front—Israeli withdrawal and prisoner return—parallel discussions with Hezbollah about disarmament could begin,” though no specific mechanism for disarmament was outlined. “There must be a conducive atmosphere for dialogue, which cannot happen without Israeli withdrawal. That’s Lebanon’s priority,” the source said.

Israeli Withdrawal as a Condition

Hezbollah’s position aligns with that of the Lebanese state. Reuters quoted a senior Hezbollah official saying the group is willing to discuss the issue of its arms within the framework of a national defense strategy, but only after Israel withdraws from five locations in southern Lebanon and ceases its aggression against Lebanese civilians.

In parallel, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is expected to call for a cabinet session where Defense Minister Michel Mnassah will present a plan to assert full state sovereignty over Lebanese territory.

Hezbollah: Defense Regardless of the Mechanism

Hezbollah, in public statements, emphasizes “defending Lebanon from Israeli aggression regardless of the mechanism.” Hezbollah MP Ali Al-Moqdad told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We aim to protect Lebanon and defend it, and this is a national consensus,” stressing the need for collective cooperation in formulating a protective strategy.

Disarmament Mechanisms Under Discussion

Potential mechanisms for disarming Hezbollah include direct negotiations between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and the party, or broader discussions of a national defense strategy. Most Lebanese political circles favor dialogue and mutual understanding, firmly ruling out the use of military force.

Army Commander General Rodolphe Haikal reportedly conveyed to Ortagus his refusal to disarm Hezbollah by force, citing the risk of a military confrontation. Ortagus, however, reportedly urged “gradual but practical steps” to disarm the group, emphasizing that the Lebanese Army must “accelerate and intensify operations” toward this goal.

US Pressure to Move Forward

Ortagus told Lebanese officials that resolving the arms issue is urgent and emphasized that weapons should be in the hands of the state alone. In a statement to local channel LBCI, she reiterated Washington’s position, saying that it is clear “Hezbollah must be disarmed, and it’s clear Israel won’t accept rockets being launched at its territory. That’s a position we understand.”

Possible Transfer of Heavy Weapons

According to Reuters, sources close to Hezbollah said the group is considering transferring its heavy weapons—including drones and anti-tank missiles—north of the Litani River to the Lebanese Army. These sources noted that Aoun believes the issue must be resolved through dialogue, warning that any attempt to forcibly disarm Hezbollah could lead to conflict.