In recent days, Israel has stepped up its attacks on Lebanon following the launch of rockets by Hezbollah on 2 March, in the context of the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. The offensive has expanded to include a ground invasion in the south of the country and evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of civilians. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, 2,080 civilians have died during the attacks, whilst Israeli authorities report the deaths of two civilians and 13 soldiers. The current tensions also have their roots in the failed 2024 agreement: on that occasion, Hezbollah rejected the demand for disarmament, citing its weapons as necessary for national security, thereby triggering a series of Israeli attacks against the group’s infrastructure and fighters.
Amid this new regional escalation, Israel and Lebanon are currently launching a series of talks in Washington under US mediation. The decision to begin negotiations, initially called for by Lebanon but rejected by Israel, was announced by Netanyahu on 9 April, following the agreement between Iran and the United States reached two days earlier. From the outset, however, the two countries’ positions remain far apart: Lebanon insists on an immediate ceasefire as a condition for any progress, whilst Israel rules out an immediate truce and instead aims for the disarmament of Hezbollah. The talks, entrusted to the two countries’ ambassadors to the United States, therefore appear more as an initial contact than as a fully structured negotiation. American pressure remains central to bringing both sides to the table, especially following signs of de-escalation on the US-Iran front.
This attempt at dialogue takes place against a backdrop of historically hostile relations. Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic relations and have been formally at war since 1948, although there have been indirect contacts in recent years, such as the 2022 maritime border agreement and the 2025 talks. Further complicating the picture is the internal situation in Lebanon: although opposition to Hezbollah’s armed role is growing, the group retains significant political and military influence. Within this fragile balance, the talks represent a delicate step, currently best viewed as an exploratory phase rather than a decisive one.
