Lebanon-Israel talks at Pentagon undercut by escalation: What to know
The Lebanese army is expected to press for the full implementation of the ceasefire with Israel during military-level talks at the Pentagon, to allow it to carry out its plan to disarm Hezbollah.
BEIRUT — A renewed Israeli military offensive in Lebanon is threatening to derail US-mediated negotiations between the Lebanese and Israeli sides set to take place in Washington on Friday, as the Trump administration seeks to build on the latest ceasefire and move the two sides toward an eventual peace agreement.
Lebanon’s military is expected to demand a complete halt to Israeli attacks during the planned military-level talks with Israeli officials at the Pentagon.
Israel’s military publicly ordered all civilians to evacuate areas south of the Zahrani River on Wednesday, labeling a massive swath of southern Lebanon a “combat zone” and threatening to use “extreme force” against Hezbollah. The evacuation zone includes Lebanon’s second-largest city, Tyre, as well as the city of Nabatiyeh.
On Thursday, Israeli aircraft struck a residential building near Beirut despite US warnings to limit air raids in the Lebanese capital amid ongoing negotiations.
