The Information Office of the Presidency of the Republic issued the following statement: Based on the initiative launched by the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, which is based on diplomatic work by declaring a ceasefire and going to direct negotiations with Israel, and after the international and Arab contacts that President Aoun recently conducted in light of the escalation of Israeli attacks on Lebanon, the American administration decided to assign the US State Department to play the role of mediator between Lebanon and Israel. In implementation of this, and based on President Aoun’s directives to the Lebanese Ambassador in Washington, a telephone call was made at nine o’clock in the evening Beirut time, the first between Lebanon, represented by its ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamada Moawad, and Israel, represented by its ambassador to Washington, Yehiel Leiter, and with the participation of the Ambassador of the United States of America in Beirut, Michel Issa, who is in Washington. During the call, it was agreed to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the US State Department headquarters to discuss announcing a ceasefire and the date for the start of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under American sponsorship.