Israel and Lebanon talk amid escalating war as the country faces collapse

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator

Israel is attacking Lebanon continuously, while unarmed civilians suffer mounting deaths and injuries. America and Israel are insisting that the armed resistance organization in Lebanon, Hezbollah, be disarmed.

Hezbollah will not lay down arms while Israel is occupying and bombarding Lebanon in a daily advancement of death and destruction. The Lebanese government can’t attack Hezbollah alongside Israel, because that would likely cause the Lebanese Army to crumble, as perhaps the majority of the soldiers in the army would refuse orders to attack Hezbollah.

The U.S. has described recent security discussions between Israeli and Lebanese military representatives as “productive,” signaling cautious progress in a diplomatic effort aimed at stabilizing one of the Middle East’s most volatile fronts. Yet Washington stopped short of announcing any concrete breakthroughs, as Israel continues to intensify military operations across Lebanon and Hezbollah expands its military response along the border.

The Pentagon-hosted talks come at a critical moment, with military confrontations escalating, humanitarian conditions deteriorating, and political divisions within Lebanon widening over the future of negotiations with Israel.

Pentagon Launches Security Track for Peace Efforts

According to a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Defense, senior military delegations from Israel and Lebanon met at the Pentagon as part of a U.S.-facilitated initiative designed to support ongoing peace discussions between the two countries.

The military-to-military talks focused on establishing practical frameworks for regional security and stability. U.S. officials said that tangible outcomes emerging from the discussions would directly inform the political negotiations scheduled to resume under the leadership of the State Department in the coming days.

Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby confirmed the meeting, describing the discussions as constructive and emphasizing that they represent the security component of a broader diplomatic effort.

“These were constructive discussions,” Colby said. “The outcomes will serve as a foundation for the political track that the State Department will lead next week.”

Washington has indicated that additional security meetings are expected in the near future as part of a phased effort to reduce tensions and establish conditions for a longer-term settlement.

Complex Negotiations Overshadowed by Hezbollah’s Absence

The negotiations, which began last month under American sponsorship, remain highly complicated by the absence of Hezbollah, the most powerful non-state military actor in Lebanon and Israel’s primary target in the conflict.

The group has publicly rejected the negotiations and refuses to recognize any agreements that emerge from them.

According to Israeli and Lebanese sources, the military delegations do not communicate directly. Instead, all messages and proposals are transmitted through American mediators.

The discussions have focused on several sensitive issues, including mechanisms to strengthen and enforce ceasefire arrangements, the future of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, Israeli demands for direct military coordination between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), Lebanese demands for a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and Ccarification of Israeli military doctrines concerning “imminent threats” and preventive military action.

Israeli officials reportedly rejected Lebanese requests for a full withdrawal from southern Lebanon, maintaining that Israeli forces will remain deployed as long as security threats persist.

Israeli representatives also reportedly presented maps identifying what they described as Hezbollah drone facilities and military positions north of the Litani River, urging the Lebanese Army to dismantle the sites and confiscate associated weapons.

Domestic Political Friction Intensifies in Beirut

The diplomatic process has triggered growing political tensions inside Lebanon.

Sources familiar with contacts between the Lebanese Presidency and Hezbollah said communication channels remain open, but have become increasingly limited, particularly following recent statements by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem.

Qassem strongly criticized the Lebanese government’s participation in direct negotiations with Israel and reportedly called for the government to be brought down over its handling of the talks.

His remarks have exposed deep divisions within Lebanon regarding the country’s negotiating strategy and the broader question of how to manage relations with Israel after months of conflict.

Despite those disagreements, Washington has already hosted three rounds of direct negotiations involving Lebanese and Israeli representatives as part of efforts to reach an agreement capable of ending the war and establishing a framework for long-term security arrangements.

Israel Expands Ground Operations Beyond the Litani River

Diplomatic efforts are unfolding against a backdrop of expanding military activity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River and advanced deeper into Lebanese territory.

During a visit to the Israeli military’s 36th Division along the northern border, Netanyahu declared, “Our forces have crossed the Litani River and advanced to secure strategic positions.”

He further stated that Israeli military operations now extend beyond southern Lebanon into Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.

“We are operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa, and across the entire front, delivering crushing blows to Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said.

Israeli military officials stated that ground operations have expanded beyond the security zone occupied by Israeli forces since April.

Lebanese security sources confirmed that Israeli troops crossed the Litani River near the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiya before temporarily withdrawing and later crossed the river again at another eastern sector near the Israeli border.

Israeli officials argue that these operations are necessary to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing military positions near the frontier, while Lebanese authorities characterize the incursions as violations of Lebanese sovereignty and the ceasefire framework.

Heavy Israeli Airstrikes Continue Across Lebanon

Israeli military operations have expanded in both scope and intensity. Airstrikes have targeted multiple locations across southern Lebanon, including Nabatieh, Ansar, Tyre, Sidon, and surrounding villages.

Lebanese media reported that a drone strike targeted the vicinity of Nabatieh Governmental Hospital, while fighter jets struck the town of Ansar and other areas throughout the south.

Additional strikes reportedly hit Adloun, Abbasiyeh, Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, Kharayeb, Ghundourieh, Frun, Mansouri, and several communities in the Bekaa Valley.

One of the deadliest incidents occurred in the town of Mashghara in Western Bekaa, where Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed at least 12 people and left others trapped beneath collapsed residential buildings.

Rescue teams continued recovery operations for hours as emergency workers searched for survivors beneath the rubble.

Lebanese authorities have also accused Israel of targeting civilian infrastructure, including St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Jdeidet Marjayoun, the Sacred Hearts School in the same town, and a medical center operated by the Islamic Health Association.

Hezbollah Escalates Cross-Border Attacks

As Israeli operations intensified, Hezbollah announced a series of military actions targeting Israeli troops and military infrastructure along the border.

The group said it launched artillery strikes against Israeli military vehicles in the Wadi al-Jamal area between Mays al-Jabal and Houla.

Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for rocket attacks against an Israeli military position at Blat and reported deploying explosive drones against concentrations of Israeli troops near Rashaf.

Additional operations reportedly included swarms of attack drones targeting Israeli artillery positions near Rabb Thalathin, as well as rocket and artillery attacks against Israeli military vehicles in Bayyada and Adshit al-Qusayr.

The operations demonstrate Hezbollah’s continued ability to conduct coordinated drone, rocket, and artillery attacks despite sustained Israeli military pressure.

Israeli Military Faces Growing Drone Challenge

Israeli media reports suggest growing frustration among senior military officers over the evolving battlefield environment in southern Lebanon.

Several officers reportedly expressed concern that Israeli troops have become increasingly vulnerable to Hezbollah’s drone warfare capabilities.

According to Haaretz, Israeli soldiers participating in operations in Lebanon describe operating under a near-constant threat from Hezbollah’s attack drones.

Military experts note that loitering munitions and suicide drones first emerged as a major battlefield innovation during the Russia-Ukraine conflict before becoming a defining feature of modern warfare across multiple theaters, including Lebanon.

Israeli analysts argue that the military must improve detection, interception, and defensive capabilities to counter the growing threat posed by increasingly sophisticated drone operations.

Rising Casualties and Humanitarian Concerns

The humanitarian toll of the conflict continues to mount. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 11 people in southern Lebanon during one day alone, while other reports placed the death toll even higher.

Since the escalation began in early March, Lebanese authorities report more than 3,300 people killed, more than 10,000 wounded, and more than 1.2 million displaced.

Israeli authorities, meanwhile, report that 23 soldiers and four civilians have been killed during the same period.

International organizations have voiced increasing alarm over the impact of the conflict on civilians.

UNICEF reported that 77 children were killed or injured in Lebanon during a single week, including 15 fatalities and 62 injuries.

“The figures are horrific,” UNICEF officials said, calling for stronger protections for children under international humanitarian law.

The World Health Organization reported that more than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire announced in April.

Lebanese Leadership Pushes for Ceasefire

Amid the worsening security situation, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire.

According to the Lebanese Presidency, Aoun stressed that ending hostilities is the essential prerequisite for addressing broader political and security issues.

“Every possible effort must be made to reach a ceasefire,” Aoun said, describing it as the necessary gateway to any future progress.

Rubio reportedly reaffirmed Washington’s support for Lebanon’s stability, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity while pledging continued efforts to preserve previous diplomatic understandings.

Debate Grows Over Lebanon’s Negotiating Strategy

The negotiations have also sparked intense debate among Lebanese political analysts and policymakers.

Political analyst Khalil Nasrallah argued that any ceasefire agreement must include a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, warning that any continued Israeli presence could become a source of leverage in future negotiations.

“A ceasefire must include withdrawal from Lebanon,” he said. “Otherwise, any Israeli presence will be used by Netanyahu as a tool of pressure and political blackmail during future negotiations.”

Nasrallah warned that Lebanon is entering a difficult new phase and argued that direct negotiations risk allowing Israel to impose conditions from a position of military strength.

He further warned against any arrangement that would permit Israeli forces to remain in parts of southern Lebanon under a temporary or experimental framework, arguing that such a move would undermine Lebanese sovereignty and prevent displaced residents from returning permanently to their homes.

He also cautioned against adopting a political model similar to that of the Palestinian Authority, arguing that indirect negotiations remain the preferred approach for preserving Lebanese sovereignty while maintaining the legitimacy of state institutions.

Uncertain Path Forward

Despite continued diplomatic engagement, major obstacles remain.

Israel insists that Hezbollah’s military capabilities must be dismantled before any withdrawal from southern Lebanon can occur. Lebanese officials, meanwhile, maintain that ending Israeli military operations and securing a full withdrawal are essential prerequisites for broader security arrangements.

The United States continues to position the Pentagon talks as a foundation for a larger political process that could eventually reshape relations between Israel and Lebanon.

Yet with military operations expanding, civilian casualties mounting, Hezbollah remaining outside the negotiating framework, and political divisions deepening within Lebanon itself, the prospects for a lasting settlement remain uncertain.

As diplomats continue negotiations behind closed doors in Washington and fighting intensifies across Lebanon’s southern frontier, the coming weeks may prove decisive in determining whether the current talks evolve into a sustainable peace process or are overtaken by a widening regional conflict.

Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist.