Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem denounced Lebanon’s recent direct talks with Israel, accusing the government of offering Israel an unreciprocated concession; Lebanese President Joseph Aoun defended the talks by suggesting they were essential for halting Israeli strikes (Reuters)
He insisted they were security-focused, tempering Israel’s claims about broader civilian cooperation (Al Monitor)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told a UN Security Council delegation that the Lebanese Army has expanded its deployments in southern Lebanon to counter Hezbollah’s rearmament, adding that Lebanon seeks the deployment of a new international force to help preserve security once the mandate of the current UN force ends in 2026 (AP)
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department approved a possible $90.5 million sale of Medium Tactical Vehicles to the Lebanese military as part of efforts to preserve security and disarm Hezbollah (Al Arabiya)
Direct Talks Between Israel and Lebanon
For the first time in decades, both sides sent non-military representatives to ceasefire discussions along the border, reflecting U.S. efforts to shift the forum toward wider political and economic dialogue; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that the meeting could help usher in a bilateral relationship (Reuters)
Still, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Beirut remains “far from” establishing such ties, which he said Lebanon continues to condition on the establishment of a Palestinian state; he added that Lebanon is open to having French and U.S. troops on the ground as part of efforts to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament (AP)
An Israeli official suggested that the U.S. push for talks with Lebanon reflected Washington’s refusal to support a fresh offensive in southern Lebanon, despite recent reports hinting that the United States had given Beirut an ultimatum to fully disarm Hezbollah by year’s end (Al Monitor; Times of Israel)
Increased Israeli Warnings on Hezbollah Rearmament
Israeli military officials accused Lebanese authorities of failing to enforce disarmament commitments as Hezbollah restores its training networks and missile arsenal; Israeli officials planned to present intelligence on Hezbollah’s rearmament to U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, who is visiting the region (Times of Israel). The Israeli military also separately revealed intelligence claiming that Hezbollah orchestrated the killings of Lebanese officials and journalists who were seeking to expose alleged connections between the group and the 2020 Beirut port explosion, which killed over two hundred people; Hezbollah rejected the claims (Jerusalem Post)
Pope Leo’s Visit to Beirut
Pope Leo XIV’s presence in Lebanon, part of his first foreign trip as pontiff, urged peace across the region, including in southern Lebanon and among different religious sects, with many Lebanese describing the visit as a rare moment of national solidarity (Reuters)
Israel paused its strikes across the country during the visit, but reports suggest that it may launch a renewed armed offensive in Lebanon by the end of the month as it runs out of patience with Hezbollah’s rearmament (Jerusalem Post; Al Monitor)
Lebanese Army Flexes Gains
Lebanon’s military toured journalists around areas long dominated by Hezbollah, claiming it has shuttered nearly a dozen weapons smuggling routes and confiscated munitions across southern Lebanon; the buildup comes as Israeli strikes persist and Hezbollah rejects a U.S.-backed disarmament initiative, saying it will not lay down arms while Israeli forces remain in contested areas (AP)
In a televised speech, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said the group reserves the option to retaliate after Israel killed its top military commander in Beirut, adding that renewed fighting remains a real prospect (Reuters)
UN Condemns Lebanon Ceasefire Breaches
The UN human rights office reported that at least 127 civilians have died in Israeli attacks in Lebanon over the past year, urging independent investigations into potential violations of international humanitarian law following incidents such as the strike on the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp last week (Guardian)
Lebanon accuses Israel of breaching the ceasefire by continuing cross-border operations, while Israel accuses Hezbollah of rebuilding its militant presence in the south (Al Jazeera)
Israel Kills Top Hezbollah Military Leader in Beirut Strike
A Hezbollah official said the strike—which injured at least twenty-eight people—crossed a “new red line” (Times of Israel)
Israel has been escalating its strikes on Hezbollah in recent weeks, accusing the group of failing to comply with a year-old ceasefire and the Lebanese government of failing to address truce violations (X)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asked the international community to help stop Israel’s attacks (Reuters)
Israeli Airstrikes Across Lebanon
The strikes struck Hezbollah positions throughout southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, targeting rocket launch sites, weapons depots, and personnel; the Israeli military said multiple operatives were killed while accusing the group of continuing to breach the terms of the November 2024 ceasefire (Times of Israel)
Israeli Airstrike in Southern Lebanon
The strike targeted a vehicle in the Bint Jbeil district, killing one, according to Lebanon’s state news agency (Anadolu Agency)
Lebanon Arrests Top Drug Trafficker
In Baalbek, the Lebanese Army arrested Noah Zeiter, who was on the run for years and had been targeted under U.S. sanctions for supporting Hezbollah and the former Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria in their cross-border Captagon drug trade (AP)
Meanwhile, Israel carried out multiple strikes across several southern Lebanese villages after issuing evacuation warnings, saying it targeted Hezbollah weapons sites embedded in populated areas; Lebanon reported at least one death (Reuters). Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Bloomberg that he has reiterated President Joseph Aoun’s proposals for talks with Israel but has received no response (Middle East Monitor)
Israeli Strike Kills Eleven in Sidon
The Israeli strike, which hit the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp, injured another four, per Lebanese health authorities; the Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas military compound, marking a rare attack on the group within Lebanese territory (Times of Israel). Two separate strikes in Bint Jbeil and Blida in southern Lebanon killed another two individuals (Anadolu Agency)
Meanwhile, in Washington, the Trump Administration called off Lebanese army commander Rodolphe Haykal’s trip after the Lebanese military condemned recent Israeli attacks without referencing Hezbollah’s required disarmament, prompting U.S. lawmakers to criticize the army’s stance; Lebanese officials said the move reflects increased U.S. and Israeli pressure as disputes persist with Beirut over implementing the terms of the November 2024 ceasefire (The National)
Israeli Forces Mistakenly Fire on UN Peacekeepers
The UN mission in Lebanon said an Israeli Merkava tank inside Lebanese territory shot machine-gun rounds that landed meters from peacekeepers before withdrawing; Israel attributed the misidentification to poor weather, while the UN called it a serious breach of UN Resolution 1701 (Reuters)
Separately, Israel conducted an overnight drone strike in Tyre; the Israeli military alleged it targeted a Hezbollah official, but Lebanese reports claimed the victim was a school principal (Times of Israel)
Lebanon Tightens Pressure on Hezbollah
Lebanon’s central bank announced new requirements for money exchange firms to report customer data for transactions above $1,000, as part of efforts to address U.S. concerns over Hezbollah financing; Hezbollah criticized the measures as foreign interference (AFP)
Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, UN authorities accused Israel of erecting a wall within Lebanese territory, in violation of an informal border demarcation, rendering the territory inaccessible for Lebanese residents (Al Jazeera)
Lebanese authorities later said they would file a complaint with the UN against the wall’s construction (Times of Israel)
Israeli Strikes in Southern Lebanon
Two separate airstrikes targeted Hezbollah weapons caches (Times of Israel)
Israel Reiterates Accusations of Hezbollah Ceasefire Violations
Hezbollah is rebuilding strength south of the Litani River and smuggling arms from Syria, said the Israeli military, adding that Israeli forces will continue to target these efforts; in a speech on Tuesday, Hezbollah’s chief Naim Qassem reiterated commitment to the 2024 ceasefire but rejected complete disarmament, promising that northern Israeli towns would face no threats if Israeli strikes in Lebanon ended (Reuters)
Israel Urges Lebanon to Accelerate Hezbollah Disarmament
Israeli officials pressed Lebanon’s army to carry out house-to-house searches in southern Lebanon to enforce Hezbollah’s disarmament, a demand Beirut rejected over fears it could spark civil unrest; Lebanon instead insists its current disarmament sweeps are sufficient under the truce deal (Reuters)
Israel continued its airstrikes across the country, killing three Hezbollah fighters and destroying weapons facilities; the strikes bring the total number of Hezbollah casualties this month to fifteen (Jerusalem Post)
Continued Israeli Strikes in Lebanon
Two people were killed as Israeli strikes hit the Nabatiyeh Governorate; separate strikes also hit Tyre, though no injuries were immediately reported (Anadolu Agency)
Separately, U.S. Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley said a unique “moment” exists in Lebanon to sever Iranian funding to Hezbollah and push the group to disarm; Hurley estimated Tehran has funneled about $1 billion to Hezbollah this year despite sanctions (Reuters)
Israeli Strikes in Southern Lebanon
The strikes included multiple air and drone attacks, killing three people and injuring several others, in what Beirut reiterated was a “flagrant breach” of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement; the European Union likewise condemned the attacks (Al Jazeera)
Israel Carries Out Multiple Strikes in Southern Lebanon
Despite the ceasefire between the two countries reached last November, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned earlier this week that Israel would increase strikes on Lebanon if its government did not ramp up efforts to disarm Hezbollah (Reuters)
Israel Expands Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon
The Israeli military struck several locations in southern Lebanon after issuing five evacuation orders for civilian departures, as concerns of a full-blown Israeli aerial campaign mount across the country; Lebanon condemned the attacks while UN peacekeepers warned the strikes violate Security Council resolution 1701 (Reuters)
Hezbollah claimed that it had a “legitimate right” to respond but would continue abiding by the ceasefire, while still rejecting political talks with Israel (AP)
Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Hezbollah operatives accused of transferring millions of dollars from Iran to help rebuild the group’s military arsenal (Treasury)
Israeli Strikes Kill Two Hezbollah Fighters
The fighters were killed in two separate strikes that targeted Nabatieh and Ayta ash-Shab (Times of Israel)
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated his belief that Beirut has no alternative but to pursue indirect talks with Israel, even as Israel remains an adversary (Arab News)
Lebanon-Syria Talks in Bahrain
Syria’s foreign ministry said it sought to improve both political and security ties; the countries have a history of strained relations, as Syria occupied Lebanon from 1976 to 2005 and Hezbollah fighters participated in Syria’s civil war (The National)
With relatively new governments in place in both countries, their leaders have pledged to improve bilateral relations (AP)
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel will act if Lebanon fails to enforce its ceasefire obligation to disarm Hezbollah, reiterating earlier warnings from Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz; Hezbollah has accepted the truce but insists that the disarmament requirement applies only to southern Lebanon (Reuters)
Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued, with a missile strike in Nabatieh province killing four and injuring three others (Al Jazeera)
More U.S. Frustration With Hezbollah Disarmament Slowdown
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack criticized Lebanon’s failure to disarm Hezbollah or provide basic state services, contrasting those failures with Hezbollah’s continued subsumption of state institutions; Barrack contrasted Lebanon’s regression with progress in Syria, where leaders would soon join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State and hold further talks with Israel (AP)
Barrack added that wealthy Gulf countries are prepared to channel billions into development projects in southern Lebanon if Hezbollah gives up its arsenal and loosens ties to Iran (FT)
Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike targeted the Kfar Sir village, wounding a man (Anadolu Agency)
Lebanese Government Calls for Talks With Israel
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for negotiations to stop near-daily Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, as Israeli military activity accelerates; after meeting with Aoun, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul likewise expressed concern about Israeli attacks (AP)
Intelligence Confirms Hezbollah Rearmament Surge
Israeli and Arab intelligence indicate Hezbollah is reestablishing its arsenal with rockets, antitank weapons, and artillery through smuggling and local production, undermining the November 2024 ceasefire, as Lebanese authorities struggle to advance disarmament beyond southern areas (WSJ)
Israel is growing increasingly frustrated at Hezbollah’s rearmament and may expand its military campaign to address the threat (Times of Israel). Israeli cabinet officials convened a meeting on Thursday night to discuss the issue (Jerusalem Post)