Residents of villages on the southern Lebanese border hold up signs to protest the destruction of their communities and the ban on their return imposed by the Israeli army, at Martyrs’ Square, in central Beirut, on April 30, 2026. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
Each time Lebanon reiterates its demand for a prior and consolidated cease-fire as a condition for engaging in direct negotiations, Israel responds by escalating further — issuing evacuation warnings and expanding the scope of its military operations.Hezbollah, for its part, continues what it describes as “qualitative” operations, the latest targeting the settlement of Shomera, where 12 Israeli soldiers were hit — an attack that caused real embarrassment in Israel. Some context US embassy says Lebanon could secure 'guarantees' should Aoun-Netanyahu meeting occur It is impossible to separate this escalation, or the trajectory of negotiations, from what is unfolding in Iran, where speculation about a renewed war is resurfacing around two scenarios: Either a swift Israeli-American strike targeting strategic sites and vital...
Each time Lebanon reiterates its demand for a prior and consolidated cease-fire as a condition for engaging in direct negotiations, Israel responds by escalating further — issuing evacuation warnings and expanding the scope of its military operations.Hezbollah, for its part, continues what it describes as “qualitative” operations, the latest targeting the settlement of Shomera, where 12 Israeli soldiers were hit — an attack that caused real embarrassment in Israel. Some context US embassy says Lebanon could secure 'guarantees' should Aoun-Netanyahu meeting occur It is impossible to separate this escalation, or the trajectory of negotiations, from what is unfolding in Iran, where speculation about a renewed war is resurfacing around two scenarios: Either a swift Israeli-American strike targeting strategic sites and vital...
Qassem rejects cease-fire agreement reached in Washington, slams it as a 'capitulation'