Israel has declared it will not discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah when it meets Lebanese officials at the US State Department next week, even as diplomatic efforts intensify and casualties mount across Lebanon. Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter confirmed that the talks, scheduled for Tuesday, would constitute the beginning of formal peace negotiations with the Lebanese government — a significant step given the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries — but drew a firm line against any engagement involving the armed group. "Israel refused to discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, which continues to attack Israel and is the main obstacle to peace between the two countries," Leiter stated.
The announcement comes as Israeli strikes continue to ravage Lebanon. A residential building in the Nabatieh district was destroyed Saturday, killing three people, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. The week prior saw one of the deadliest single days of the conflict, with more than 350 people killed on Wednesday alone in a large-scale Israeli assault. Lebanese authorities say the fighting has claimed close to 2,000 lives in recent weeks. Both the Lebanese government and the Trump administration have reportedly urged Israel to pause its attacks before the talks begin, though the White House has not publicly confirmed those requests.
The diplomatic backdrop is further complicated by the fragile US-Iran ceasefire agreed earlier this week, which Tehran insists includes an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel has firmly rejected that interpretation and pressed on with its military campaign. Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz closed in response, and the speaker of Iran's Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that Tehran would not engage in any negotiations without a Lebanon ceasefire and the release of frozen Iranian assets. President Trump, however, contradicted Iran's position, stating that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire arrangement, even as he acknowledged asking Prime Minister Netanyahu to scale back the bombardment to avoid destabilising the broader diplomatic process.
With a high-level US delegation — including Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner — in Islamabad for talks with Iranian representatives, the interplay between the Lebanon conflict and the wider US-Iran negotiations is growing increasingly difficult to manage. Next week's State Department meeting is expected to focus on demands directed at the Lebanese state rather than Hezbollah, a distinction critics say ignores the reality of power on the ground. The ceasefire agreed in November 2024 has been violated hundreds of times, and with Israel refusing to engage the armed group directly, a durable end to hostilities remains elusive.
Based on: Al Jazeera English, France24