Israel says the disputed Shebaa Farms would be on the table if Lebanon is willing to enter direct peace talks.
Israel made the offer to hold talks Wednesday.
Lebanon and Hezbollah claim Shebaa Farms, a small piece of border land, but the United Nations says it belongs to Syria. Israel did not turn over the land to Lebanon when it withdrew from the southern part of the country in 2000. Hezbollah says it continues to arm its supporters due to Israel’s continued presence there.
The offer to enter peace talks is part of a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region, including Israel’s indirect talks with Syria and an Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas. It comes after a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Israel and a surprise stopover in Lebanon.
Rice reportedly asked Israel and the new Lebanese government to solve the Shebaa Farms dispute as a steppingstone to solving other problems in the region, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Lebanon has rejected previous invitations to negotiate with Israel, calling on the Jewish state to first agree to abide by certain conditions, including releasing prisoners and providing maps on mines from the 2006 war.
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