Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called on the United States to pressure Israel into halting its military operations and home demolitions in southern Lebanon, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency. The appeal comes as Lebanon’s health ministry reported that 74 people were killed in Israeli strikes over the past three days despite a ceasefire announced last month. Officials said the attacks included a strike on the southern town of Saksakiyeh that killed at least seven people.
The conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah reignited on March 2 after Hezbollah launched attacks in support of Tehran. Although U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on April 16, hostilities have continued, particularly in southern Lebanon where Israel maintains what it calls a security zone. Lebanon’s health ministry says nearly 2,900 people have been killed since the fighting resumed, while Israel says hundreds of rockets and drones have been fired into its territory by Hezbollah forces.
Meanwhile, Washington is set to host a third round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives on May 14 and 15, marking some of the highest-level contacts between the two sides in decades. Lebanon’s delegation will be led by former ambassador Simon Karam. The talks have sparked political divisions inside Lebanon, with critics accusing Hezbollah of dragging the country into war, while the group itself has demanded that the government withdraw from negotiations.
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