APTOPIX Lebanon Israel Iran War

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948. The announcement Thursday offered a potential boost to ceasefire efforts in the region. There was no immediate response from Lebanese authorities. The tentative ceasefire in the Iran war has staggered under the weight of Israel’s bombardment of Beirut and Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Netanyahu made the announcement amid disagreement over whether the ceasefire deal included a pause in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

BEIRUT (AP) — It was 2:14 in the afternoon when the first bomb fell, and the sudden sound of…