Lebanon and Israel held fresh US-mediated indirect talks in Washington on Thursday as a fragile ceasefire between the two sides moved closer to its Sunday expiration, amid continued cross-border violence and rising casualties.
The third round of negotiations took place at the US State Department, with American diplomats acting as intermediaries. The meeting began just after 9 a.m. local time (1300 GMT).
The discussions focused on efforts to consolidate a ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 but has faced repeated strain from ongoing fighting.
Despite the truce, Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon during the period, according to an AFP tally based on Lebanese health ministry figures.
While talks continued in Washington, hostilities persisted on the ground.
Israel’s military said it struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon on Thursday after issuing evacuation warnings for several towns and villages. It also reported that a Hezbollah drone entered Israeli territory and injured civilians after crashing.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported additional Israeli airstrikes in the south and east, including areas outside evacuation zones. The Lebanese health ministry said a day earlier that 22 people were killed, including eight children, in intensified Israeli raids.
A Hezbollah lawmaker, Ali Ammar, rejected the negotiations, describing them as “free concessions” to Israel.
A Lebanese official said Beirut’s priority was “the consolidation of the ceasefire” and an end to what he called “death and destruction.”
The United States said it supports efforts to restore stability, stressing that lasting peace depends on the “full restoration of Lebanese state authority and the complete disarmament of Hezbollah,” according to a State Department statement.
Thursday’s meeting marked the third round of indirect negotiations between the two countries, which do not maintain formal diplomatic relations.
Unlike previous rounds, neither the US Secretary of State nor President Donald Trump participated. Mediation was handled by senior diplomats, including the US ambassadors to Israel and Lebanon.
The ceasefire, which began on April 17, remains in effect until Sunday but has been repeatedly tested by continued military exchanges.
Israeli officials have vowed to sustain pressure on Hezbollah, while Lebanon has continued to demand Israel’s withdrawal from southern territory and an end to airstrikes.
Lebanese authorities say more than 2,800 people have been killed since March, with thousands displaced across the country.
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