Israel’s embassy in Washington confirmed Tuesday that a fourth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon has begun at the State Department. The negotiations come amid escalating tensions, following a day of sirens and rocket fire from Lebanon into Israel, and as the IDF issued evacuation warnings to residents of Dahieh ahead of a possible strike.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen channel reported that the Lebanese delegation is demanding a comprehensive ceasefire and believes the chances of reaching one have increased. The report added that a ceasefire could serve as a starting point for discussions on “issues of Israeli withdrawal, prisoners, reconstruction, and the return of displaced persons.”
Earlier Tuesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz made clear at a defense export conference that “inside Lebanon there is no ceasefire, and the IDF continues its operations against Hezbollah.” He said the long-term goal is to disarm Hezbollah, while the immediate objective is to clear the Litani area of terrorists and weapons, while maintaining Israeli security control.
Tensions on the northern border continued on the ground: overnight, sirens sounded in dozens of communities across the Upper Galilee, southern Golan Heights, and the confrontation line—including Safed, Katzrin, Hatzor HaGlilit, and Rosh Pina—following rocket fire from Lebanon. This despite repeated declarations by U.S. President Donald Trump that a ceasefire agreement had been reached.
About an hour earlier, Trump again declared that a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon had been achieved through his direct mediation. According to Trump, in a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it was agreed that the IDF would not enter Beirut and would withdraw from southern Lebanon. Trump added that he had a “very good” conversation with senior Hezbollah officials, who he said agreed to hold their fire. Lebanon’s embassy in Washington backed this version, claiming that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received official confirmation from the U.S. administration of Hezbollah’s agreement to a ceasefire.