US Urges Israel to De-escalate Tensions with Lebanon Ahead of New Talks
Al Jazeera Staff
The United States is urging Israel to de-escalate military action in Lebanon to strengthen the existing ceasefire and move to the next round of negotiations. A Lebanese official said talks are set for May 17 in Washington, covering security and political issues, including withdrawal and border disputes. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli strikes continue, putting pressure on the truce.
The United States is pressing Israel to de-escalate military operations in Lebanon in order to consolidate the existing ceasefire and move to the next round of negotiations between the two sides, a Lebanese official told Al Jazeera Arabic on Thursday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said talks between Israeli and Lebanese delegations are scheduled for May 17 in Washington, D.C., following a preliminary round in mid-April. The upcoming round will cover both security and political issues, including Israel's complete withdrawal from southern Lebanon, border disputes, prisoners, refugees, and reconstruction.
Reuters and AFP, citing an unnamed U.S. State Department official, reported that the talks could take place on May 14 and 15.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Thursday, killing one person and wounding several others, according to Lebanese state media. A day earlier, Israel struck a commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force in Beirut's southern suburbs.
These attacks have put pressure on the Lebanon ceasefire, which was established in parallel with the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement amid the broader Middle East conflict. Halting Israeli strikes on Lebanon is a key demand for Iran in its negotiations with Washington.
No Peace Deal: Official
The Lebanese official told Al Jazeera that his government seeks to negotiate a complete end to hostilities with Israel.
The expected step before May 17 is to extend the ceasefire and secure Israeli commitments to halt fire. The official suggested that the recent strike on Beirut's southern suburbs was a message from Israel aimed at obstructing the negotiation process.
Lebanon is not moving toward a peace treaty but rather a non-aggression pact, the official emphasized.
The Lebanon ceasefire, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on April 16, has reduced fighting. Beirut, for example, had not been targeted by Israel for weeks before Wednesday's strike.
However, since the ceasefire took effect, Israel and Hezbollah have traded accusations of violations in other areas, particularly southern Lebanon.
More than 2,700 people have been killed in the conflict in Lebanon since March 2, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. About 1.2 million people have been displaced, many fleeing southern Lebanon.
Israel has reported 17 soldiers killed in southern Lebanon and two civilians killed in northern Israel.
