A seventh round of U.S.-mediated peace talks began in Rome, aimed at establishing pilot zones in southern Lebanon from which Israeli forces would begin withdrawing; Israeli forces continued to strike southern Lebanon despite having agreed to a conditional ceasefire in early June (Al Jazeera).
Israel Accuses Hezbollah of Launching Drone in Southern Lebanon
The Israeli military said that Hezbollah had launched an explosive drone at one of its vehicles in southern Lebanon, threatening to undermine a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed group (NYT).
U.S. to Resume Flights to Lebanon After Forty Years
During a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun—the first White House visit by a Lebanese president since 2009— President Trump pledged to help Lebanon “a lot;” hours later, President Trump announced that he would allow American carriers to resume direct flights to Lebanon for the first time in over forty years (AP)
Israeli Strike Kills Four in Lebanon
An Israeli strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed four, Lebanon’s health ministry said, in one of the deadliest attacks in weeks (Reuters)
Foreign Minister Says Syria Open to Meeting Hezbollah
Syria’s foreign minister said that Damascus was open to meeting Hezbollah “if interests require it,” according to Lebanon’s state news agency; his comment came after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Syrian forces combat Hezbollah in Lebanon (Reuters)
Hundreds of Thousands of Displaced Civilians Return to Lebanon
Approximately four hundred thousand Lebanese civilians returned to southern Lebanon, the social affairs minister said, due to a lull in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah (Reuters)
Netanyahu Says Israel Will Not Leave Southern Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Lebanese territory occupied by the Israeli military, telling soldiers that Israel would not withdraw from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah continued to pose a threat (Reuters)
Hezbollah Leader Rejects Agreement
Under the initial agreement signed in Washington, Israel will withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon, transferring the sites to the Lebanese military (CNN)
In a statement, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the U.S.-brokered agreement, describing it as a surrender to Israel and accusing the Lebanese government of undermining Lebanon’s sovereignty (Reuters)
Israel and Lebanon Sign Framework Agreement
Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington following several days of talks, which both sides characterized as an initial step to secure an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah (Reuters)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the agreement the “beginning of the beginning,” acknowledging that there is “a lot of work ahead” (State)
Israeli Fire Kills Two in Lebanon, Testing Ceasefire
Israeli gunfire killed two people in southern Lebanon, Lebanon’s Civil Defense and health ministry said, prompting Hezbollah to accuse Israel of violating the ceasefire that has led to the longest lull in fighting since the start of the conflict (Reuters)
Lebanon and Israel began a new round of talks in Washington, their fifth round of talks since the war began on March 2 (Reuters)
Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Largely Holds
Lebanon is experiencing the longest pause in fighting since Hezbollah and Israel resumed hostilities in March, following Israeli attacks two days earlier (Reuters)
Netanyahu Rules Out IDF Withdrawal From Southern Lebanon
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the IDF would remain in what he termed the “security zone” in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary,” and Israel’s Defense Minister separately stated there would be no withdrawal from seized territory in Lebanon (Times of Israel)
Israeli Strikes Kill Twenty in Lebanon Hours After Ceasefire
Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least twenty people, Lebanon’s state news agency said, one day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces named three soldiers killed in separate incidents in southern Lebanon over the weekend (Haaretz)
Israel, Hezbollah Agree to Ceasefire After Escalation in Hostilities
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire, a U.S. official said, after the Lebanese health ministry reported that Israel’s airstrikes killed at least forty-seven overnight; Israel also reported four of its soldiers were killed by Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon (Reuters)
The ceasefire, which President Trump reportedly asked Israeli leaders to agree to, came after Iran temporarily withdrew from negotiations with the United States following the Israeli attacks (NYT)
Iran: U.S.-Iran Agreement Extends to Fighting in Lebanon
Iranian and Pakistani officials have said that the agreement between the United States and Iran would include an end to the fighting in Lebanon; however, President Trump has not publicly commented on whether that is the case (NYT)
Hezbollah issued a statement congratulating Iran, its primary backer, for what it described as the “major achievement” of securing a “comprehensive ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon” (NYT)
Meanwhile, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that Israel plans to stay “indefinitely” in the land it holds in Lebanon, and threatened that if Iran attacks Israel over its strikes in Lebanon, Israel will strike Iran with “great force” (AP)
Fighting in southern Lebanon eased after the U.S-Iran agreement was announced, but an Israeli drone strike killed one person, and authorities warned displaced people not to rush home (Reuters)
The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, would end permanently starting tonight (Reuters)
Israeli Strike on Beirut Complicates U.S.-Iran Talks
Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Beirut, which killed three people and injured sixteen, were condemned by President Trump, who said in a social media post that the strikes “should not have happened,” urging Israel and Hezbollah to exercise restraint as the United States and Iran moved toward signing a framework agreement (NYT)
Prior to the strikes, the Israeli military said that Hezbollah had launched three projectiles towards communities in northern Israel in violation of a ceasefire in Lebanon (Reuters)
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement it “strongly condemns” the Israeli strikes, which it described as a “blatant violation of Lebanon’s national sovereignty;” Iran also said that the United States bears “direct responsibility” for Israel’s “ceasefire violations” (BBC)
Israeli Strikes Kill Thirteen in Southern Lebanon
Continued Israeli strikes on Tyre and the surrounding areas of southern Lebanon have killed at least thirteen (Reuters)
Additionally, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said that a team of investigators will deploy to Lebanon next week to assess potential violations of international law by all parties (Al Jazeera)
Israeli Strikes Kill Eight in Tyre as It Issues New Evacuation Order
Israeli strikes in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre killed eight people before Israel issued an evacuation order, telling the whole city—including its northwestern Christian quarter— to leave before launching further attacks (Reuters)
Israeli Strikes Kill Nine in Southern Lebanon, Days After Ceasefire
Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon killed nine people, in what Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called a “flagrant violation” of the country’s sovereignty and of international law; three Lebanese army officers were among those killed (AP)
Hezbollah Rejects Ceasefire Agreement
Hezbollah rejected the latest ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon (BBC)
Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem called the agreement “absurd, humiliating, and insulting,” and said that the demand that Hezbollah fighters leave southern Lebanon was tantamount to surrender (NPR)
The announcement came as Israeli strikes killed at least four people, and a UN peacekeeper was killed in the crossfire (AP)
Israel and Lebanese Government Agree to Ceasefire
Israel and the Lebanese government have agreed to implement a ceasefire following U.S.-led negotiations; according to the statement, the ceasefire is contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire, Israel’s withdrawal south of the Litani River, and the creation of “pilot” security zones inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah would be banned (State)
Lebanon Reaches Partial Ceasefire With Israel
The Lebanese Embassy in Washington said that Israel had agreed to halt its attacks on Beirut and its southern suburbs that are controlled by Hezbollah, while the Iran-backed group would cease attacks; however, the IDF is continuing operations in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah has not stopped its attacks on northern Israel (Reuters)
Netanyahu: Capture of Beaufort Castle Marks “Decisive Shift”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said IDF soldiers would remain at the strategic fort as part of Israel’s expanding security zone in Lebanon (Guardian)
Israel issued an evacuation warning to Lebanese residents for all of southern Lebanon below the Zahrani river, moving beyond its earlier demarcation of the Litani river (BBC)
Israel Launches Over 120 Strikes in Heaviest Bombardment in Weeks
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the Israeli military was expanding operations in the country as the bombing campaign further undermined the April 16 ceasefire (Reuters)
Hezbollah Warns Against Talks
The group’s leader has called for the Lebanese government to abandon direct negotiations with Israel, which are scheduled to continue in Washington this week; in a letter to Hezbollah officials, he wrote that the potential disarmament of Hezbollah, a key issue in the negotiations, was an internal matter (AP)