Fragile case: Israeli strikes on Lebanon cast doubt on truce
On the night of April 24, the second round of negotiations between representatives of Lebanon and Israel started in Washington. The current truce expires next Sunday. Beirut initially set the task to achieve its extension and move on to discussing the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but the ongoing strikes cast doubt on the stability of the diplomatic process. Hezbollah has condemned the Lebanese leadership for its contacts with the Jewish state. Experts agree that the current truce is extremely fragile and largely asymmetrical: on the one hand, it limits the capabilities of the Lebanese side, on the other hand, it is not accompanied by Israeli concessions.
The second round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel
The 10-day truce effectively ended the 45-day phase of intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, but did not lead to a complete de-escalation. Israel continues its military activity in southern Lebanon. In Beirut, such actions are seen as a violation of agreements and an obstacle to further dialogue.
This time, the negotiations at the ambassadorial level, mediated by the United States, were held not at the State Department, but at the White House. This is reported by the Times of Israel, citing an Israeli source. As the newspaper notes, the decision to change the site may indicate an increase in the importance of these contacts for the American administration.
The Lebanese side believes that the extension of the ceasefire, which expires on April 26, will be a necessary condition for expanding the negotiation format. At the next stage, the country's authorities intend to seek the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the return of detained citizens, as well as the final demarcation of the land border.
The previous round of contacts, which took place earlier in Washington, was actually the first direct dialogue between the two countries in decades. The meeting lasted more than two hours and, according to the parties, allowed to lay the foundation for further negotiations. The Israeli side claimed to have a similar position with Beirut on the role of Hezbollah, but Lebanon has not officially confirmed such interpretations.
Israel stresses that its strategic goals go beyond the current truce. Among them is the disarmament of Hezbollah and the creation of conditions for a possible peace agreement with Lebanon.
The negotiation process is complicated by the internal political situation in Lebanon. Representatives of Hezbollah say that the movement is interested in continuing the ceasefire, but only if it is fully respected by Israel. At the same time, the Shiite movement categorically opposes any direct contacts with the Israeli side, considering them a violation of current legislation. The movement accuses the authorities of going beyond constitutional norms, which intensifies internal contradictions in the country.
Retired Lebanese General George Nader told Izvestia that a situation is developing in the country in which the law on the boycott of Israel, which has been in force since 1955, may be revised. According to him, the negotiations themselves and the atmosphere around them are pushing for the easing of previous restrictions, which causes concern among some political and military circles.
According to him, the Lebanese delegation approaches the negotiations without a clear plan of action and specific initiatives, limiting itself to the desire to extend the ceasefire. He expressed concern that Beirut is actually betting on a temporary de—escalation — an extension of the truce for several weeks - without receiving reciprocal steps from Israel.
The sides exchange military strikes
Despite the agreements reached earlier, the fighting has not completely stopped: strikes, local clashes and mutual accusations of violation of the truce are recorded. The Israeli attacks on April 22 resulted in the deaths of at least five people, including journalist Amal Khalil. These events marked the most serious upsurge in violence since the ceasefire came into force in mid-April.
Amal Khalil and her colleague were hiding in one of the settlements in the south of the country after the first strike, when the building was hit by a second airstrike. Rescue operations were hampered by the ongoing shelling, which led to a delay in the recovery of victims from the rubble.
Journalist Amal Khalil, who was killed in an Israeli strike
The death of the journalist caused a wide public outcry. Mourning events were held in Lebanon, attended by hundreds of people. The country's leadership regarded the incident as a targeted attack on media representatives and called on the international community to intervene. According to relevant organizations, at least eight journalists were killed in Lebanon as a result of Israeli shelling in 2026 alone.
In response to continued violations of the ceasefire by Israel, Hezbollah fighters attacked Israeli military concentrations.
Since the beginning of the escalation in Lebanon, more than 2.2 thousand people have been killed and over 7.5 thousand injured. A significant part of the infrastructure in the south of the country has been destroyed or seriously damaged. In Israel, as a result of attacks by the Shiite movement, 12 soldiers and two civilians were killed.
Roman Yanushevsky, editor-in-chief of the website of the 9th Israeli TV channel, noted in an interview with Izvestia that the current truce between Israel and Lebanon is largely asymmetrical. According to him, the agreement was actually imposed on Hezbollah and significantly restricts movement opportunities, while the Israeli army retains freedom of action within the designated security line. This configuration, in his opinion, initially creates a skew in the balance and lays the foundation for further incidents.
He drew attention to the possible preparation by the Israeli forces of a larger-scale response, which would follow either in the event of the final collapse of the agreements, or after their expiration.
The situation around Lebanon is closely linked to broader regional processes. Iran links the dialogue with the United States with the cessation of Israeli operations against Hezbollah, considering them a factor undermining confidence in diplomatic efforts. In turn, Washington is trying to synchronize several negotiating tracks, including contacts with Tehran and mediation between Lebanon and Israel.
On the night of April 22, Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits proposals and achieves concrete results. Nevertheless, the risks of new hostilities remain. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said on April 23 that the country was ready to resume hostilities against Iran and was awaiting a green light from the United States to strike key targets, including Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei and energy infrastructure facilities.
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