Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday dismissed reports that Israel and Lebanon are preparing for direct talks in the coming days, as fighting with Hezbollah continues.

Asked by Reuters whether he could confirm reports of potential discussions between Beirut and Jerusalem on confronting Hezbollah and broader cooperation, Sa’ar replied: “No.”

He emphasized that Lebanon must take concrete action to curb Hezbollah attacks originating from its territory.

“If the Lebanese government and the Lebanese army want to change something, they should do something in order to stop the attacks being done by Hezbollah from Lebanese territory,” he said.

Sa’ar criticized Lebanon for inaction since the November 2024 U.S.-brokered ceasefire with the Iran-backed group.

“Until now, they hadn’t done anything significant to stop Hezbollah,” he said. “Lebanon hadn’t really done what it should have done to dismantle Hezbollah, and we see now the results. We also expect them to take serious steps to stop the shootings on Israel. This is the practical thing to do right now.”

While reaffirming Israel’s interest in future peace and normalization, Sa’ar stressed that Hezbollah, rather than Lebanon itself, is the core issue.

“We are all for peace and normalization in the future, including with Lebanon. I think the problem in Lebanon is Hezbollah. We don’t have real disputes with the state of Lebanon. We have some minor border disputes that can be solved quite easily. But the problem is Hezbollah,” he said.

Earlier, Israel's Army Radio reported that former Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer recently traveled to Saudi Arabia to discuss an initiative for possible direct talks with the Lebanese government.