Lebanon’s President refuses to meet Netanyahu amid Hezbollah war

On 2026-04-16, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun refused to hold a direct phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Lebanese government sources cited by the AP and dpa. The reported refusal came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of such a call with Aoun. The interaction was framed as a rejection of direct talks amid the Lebanon-Israel-Hezbollah fighting.