Lebanon and Israel are set to begin a new round of peace talks in Washington on Thursday, as the latest ceasefire between the two sides—still technically in effect despite hundreds killed in Israeli airstrikes—approaches its expiration.
On the eve of the negotiations, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health announced that 22 people, including 8 children, were killed on Wednesday as Israel intensified its airstrikes.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that Israeli strikes targeted nearly 40 locations in southern and eastern Lebanon.
The most recent meeting between the two sides took place on 23 April at the White House, where U.S. President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire and expressed optimism about reaching a historic agreement.
At the time, Trump predicted that during the ceasefire period he would host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington for what would be a historic first summit between the two sides.
That summit did not take place, as President Aoun stated that a security agreement and an end to Israeli attacks must come before such a symbolic meeting could occur.
The ceasefire has since been extended until Sunday. Since taking effect on 17 April, Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 400 people, according to figures based on Lebanese official data.
Israel has pledged to continue operations against Hezbollah despite the ceasefire.
Hezbollah began launching rockets at Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the outset of the Iran war on 28 February.
Following an Israeli strike in central Beirut last week that killed a senior Hezbollah commander, Netanyahu said: “I say clearly to our enemies: no terrorist has immunity. Anyone who threatens Israel will pay the price.”
A Lebanese official, speaking anonymously, said the country would seek to “consolidate the ceasefire” during the Washington talks.
“The most important thing is to put an end to death and destruction,” the official added.
Iran has called for a permanent ceasefire in Lebanon before any agreement to end the broader war, a stance that has reportedly frustrated Trump, who has pushed for a deal on his own terms.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, disrupting the global economy and affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
This will be the third round of talks between the two sides, which do not maintain diplomatic relations.
Unlike the previous round hosted by Trump at the White House, neither Trump nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate, as Trump is currently on a state visit to China.
Among the American mediators attending the two-day State Department meeting are U.S. ambassadors to Israel and Lebanon respectively: Mike Huckabee, an evangelical pastor and strong supporter of Israel’s regional ambitions, and Michel Issa, a Lebanese-born businessman and Trump golf associate, along with Mike Needham, a close aide to Rubio.
Lebanon will be represented by special envoy Simon Karam, a veteran lawyer and diplomat known for his strong defense of Lebanese sovereignty and currently serving as Lebanon’s ambassador in Washington.
The Israeli delegation includes Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, a close ally of Netanyahu with longstanding ties to the Israeli settler movement in the occupied West Bank.
AFP
