The former Lebanese president who once signed a short-lived deal with Israel ending decades of a state of war now says the time is right to try again.

Amin Gemayel spoke with The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday after the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel since the 1980s, as they explore what could lead to a security agreement or even the eventual normalization of relations. He is part of one of Lebanon's strongest political dynasties that founded the Christian Kataeb Party, which held powerful positions for decades.

Israel's military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir vowed to strike Hezbollah targets north of Lebanon's Litani River and beyond the so-called "Yellow Line" during a visit to south Lebanon on Wednesday.

A U.N.-backed report said Wednesday that more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon were expected to face acute hunger due to the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel considers the extension of the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon until mid-May a window of opportunity to reach a "genuine" understanding, Israeli reports said as an Israeli source said Israel plans to return to "intensive fighting and activity" against Hezbollah if no progress is made during this period.

President Joseph Aoun has informed Washington that he does not intend to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the beginning of the proposed negotiations, but rather when they conclude, MTV reported.

There is no rift between Baabda Palace and Ain el-Tineh and a phone call took place yesterday between President Joseph Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri, Al-Jadeed TV reported on Wednesday.

The Israeli army is pressuring the political leadership to return to striking Beirut, but U.S. President Donald Trump is not allowing it, according to an Israeli media report.

The Yedioth Ahronoth report emphasized that Lebanon remains tethered to the broader Iranian conflict, which does not serve Israel’s interests.

Lebanese authorities detained the former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon on corruption charges shortly after he arrived in the country, officials said Wednesday.

The officials said Ashraf Dabbour was arrested upon arrival at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport late Tuesday. The two judicial and two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

A Lebanese army soldier was killed Wednesday along with his brother in an Israeli strike that targeted the motorcycle on which they were traveling from the soldier’s work post to his home in the village of al-Sowaneh, the army said in a statement.

"A soldier and his brother were killed in an Israeli strike that targeted them in the town of Khirbet Selm in Bint Jbeil (district) while they were travelling on a motorbike" heading home, the army statement said.

Ambassador Danny Danon said it’s impossible to talk about peace in Lebanon without mentioning Hezbollah.

“Hezbollah is not just set on Israel’s destruction. It is Lebanon’s greatest obstacle to sovereignty. It has weakened the Lebanese government,” he told a ministerial meeting of the U.N. Security Council.