Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have engaged indirectly through U.S.-brokered channels on ceasefire implementation, border demarcation, Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and arms control under Lebanese state authority. In May 2026, Aoun publicly described a direct meeting or call with Netanyahu as premature and not appropriate at the time, while affirming that negotiations with Israel remain the preferred path over renewed conflict and that Lebanon seeks concrete security guarantees before any normalization steps. Lebanese officials have echoed this stance, citing domestic political constraints and the need for prior agreements on sovereignty and reconstruction. Washington has pressed for higher-level contact, including potential White House facilitation, but recent statements from Beirut indicate talks continue at lower levels with incremental progress reported into August 2026. Trader assessments of any near-term direct exchange therefore hinge on whether diplomatic momentum overcomes these procedural and political barriers before the market's resolution date.