Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said Monday that a proposal to launch negotiations between Lebanon and Israel has been shelved after Tel Aviv rejected a U.S.-backed initiative aimed at easing cross-border tensions.

Berri told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington’s proposal, which included a two-month cessation of Israeli military operations and the start of border demarcation and security arrangements, was turned down by Israel. As a result, he said, Lebanon would now proceed through the existing mechanism established under the November 2024 ceasefire that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

“The path of negotiations with Israel has been dropped. What remains is the mechanism through the committee overseeing the ceasefire,” Berri said.

The speaker’s remarks came after he met with President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Palace to discuss the security situation in southern Lebanon and the diplomatic efforts following the recent regional summit in Sharm El-Sheikh.

“Talks with the president are always excellent,” Berri said in a brief statement after the meeting.

A statement from the presidency said discussions covered the overall situation in Lebanon, particularly the South amid ongoing Israeli violations, as well as regional developments following the ceasefire in Gaza.

Berri’s meeting with Aoun came three days after the president held talks with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and just hours after U.S. envoy Tom Barrack warned that “Israel may act unilaterally” if Beirut continues to delay a decision on asserting full state control over arms.

According to Berri, Barrack had informed Lebanese officials of Israel’s rejection of Washington’s proposal, which had sought to freeze military operations for two months while paving the way for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories and the start of border demarcation talks.

The plan, which required coordination between President Aoun, Prime Minister Salam, and Berri himself, had been received positively by Lebanese authorities, the speaker said. However, with Israel’s refusal now official, he added, the focus will shift to the international committee monitoring the ceasefire.

Berri said the committee, which previously met irregularly, would now convene every two weeks to assess the situation and maintain coordination among the countries sponsoring the truce.

Reaffirming Lebanon’s commitment to the ceasefire, Berri declined to say whether he was optimistic or pessimistic about the next phase.

“It’s a mix of both,” he said.