Israeli troops advance inside Lebanese territory after occupying a village, Dibbine, near the town of Marjayoun on a day when, according to several sources, a castle was hit by an Israeli shell. Meanwhile, the two countries debate face to face at the Pentagon a formula to stop the hostilities.
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In the conquest of Dibbine, 6 civilians died from Israeli air force fire. Another 5 perished in an air raid in the village of Deir Qanoun al Nahr and Abbasiyeh. The death toll in the conflict increases every day while peace talks have not started.
Talks between the two countries in Washington have little value without the presence of Hizbulah
It has been decades since an Israeli delegation and a Lebanese one sat at the same table to negotiate. In Washington, six Lebanese military delegates discussed with their Israeli counterparts on Friday until late afternoon. In a statement, the Pentagon said the talks “had been productive,” although no firm agreement was reached. In this mini-summit, both countries try “to focus on tangible solutions and to build a practical framework for regional security.”
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The discussions cannot have an overly ambitious goal. We must be realistic. The negotiation table is missing a fundamental leg. The absence of the pro-Iranian group Hizbulah, a military target of Israel, is not part of the talks and that complicates any glimpse of a solution. The militia has already announced that they will reject any agreement that arises between the two parties.
In any case, negotiations between Israel and Lebanon continue just as the airstrikes that are not respecting the ceasefire established since last April 17. In 2024 there was a truce between the U.S. and the Shiite militia. But the Middle East map smokes and burns much more today than two years ago.
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