Israel freezes attacks on Beirut in exchange for staying in southern Lebanon

BeirutAs the Lebanese and Israeli delegations faced the second day of the fourth round of negotiations in Washington this Wednesday, the formula that could serve as a basis for a future agreement in Lebanon began to take shape. Israel has agreed to suspend attacks against Beirut, but shows no signs of being willing to abandon the positions it occupies in the south of the country in the short term.

The talks, sponsored by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are taking place while the war continues on the ground. The Lebanese Ministry of Health has reported 48 deaths and 97 injuries in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 3,515 since Israel resumed its offensive on March 2.

Lebanese sources assure that the discussions are progressing positively and that there is a US and Israeli willingness to explore formulas for a comprehensive ceasefire. Beirut insists that any agreement must include both the Israeli withdrawal and the extension of the authority of the Lebanese state over the entire national territory, with the support of international guarantees.

However, signals from Israel point to a more limited interpretation of the negotiation. According to sources cited by Israeli media, Donald Trump would have promoted a formula aimed at containing the escalation: Israel would stop attacking Beirut while Hezbollah would refrain from launching rockets against Israeli territory. The same sources indicate that Israeli troops would for now maintain the areas they control in southern Lebanon.

According to sources close to the negotiations, the current contacts are no longer limited to managing the daily escalation, but rather address a possible longer-term security formula. Among the proposals discussed is a gradual Israeli withdrawal under international supervision and a greater deployment of the Lebanese army in the south, accompanied by US support and training. Beirut insists that any progress must be accompanied by clear guarantees on the Israeli withdrawal, while Washington tries to bring positions closer around a roadmap that allows the truce to be consolidated.

The same Rubio acknowledged that Washington has received messages transmitted by Lebanese authorities indicating that Hezbollah is willing to stop its attacks if Beirut is left out of Israeli targets. The Secretary of State also expressed his hope that the round of talks will conclude with a joint declaration and a roadmap to move towards a more lasting agreement.

More evacuation orders in the south

Meanwhile, the war has continued to hit the south of the country. Israel has issued new evacuation orders for several towns in the Sidon region and has maintained bombings in different parts of Lebanese territory.

An Israeli drone has hit a vehicle of the Lebanese army in the municipality of Deir Zahrani, injuring a soldier and an officer. Another attack hit a vehicle in Khaldé, on the road linking Sidon with Beirut. Among the victims registered during the day are emergency workers, Syrian laborers, and Palestinian refugees.

Hezbollah, for its part, has claimed a rocket attack against a concentration of Israeli troops in northern Israel and has stated that it was responding to continuous Israeli violations of the ceasefire. Shortly after, the Israeli ambassador to Washington accused the group of breaking the understanding that had allowed to curb attacks against Beirut.

The distance between the two sides remains considerable. While Beirut calls for a comprehensive ceasefire accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated yesterday that he shares with Trump the goal of disarming Hezbollah and moving towards a "demilitarization" of Lebanon.

While Washington works to translate diplomatic contacts into concrete commitments, the reality on the ground continues to be marked by an evident contradiction: Beirut has temporarily been spared from bombings, but the war continues in the south of the country.