GERMANY PERSPECTIVE

Berlin frames the talks with the factual rigor typical of German press, but tension surfaces. Tagesschau details Chancellor Merz's position, who called Netanyahu to "encourage" direct negotiations while demanding Hezbollah lay down arms — a balancing act between supporting Israel and calling for ceasefire. The second Tagesschau article after the meeting reports Washington speaks of "historic step" and Leiter called the exchange "wonderful," but notes positions remain "fundamentally divergent." DW German highlights a telling detail: according to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, the US objective is Lebanese accession to the Abraham Accords. German press treats the Lebanon file with the restraint characteristic of its coverage of Israel-related issues, but Tagesschau quietly notes that the 2,000 dead in Lebanon include 252 women, 166 children, and 88 healthcare workers — figures many media do not detail.