• Military officials meet in Washington to salvage a faltering 45-day ceasefire
• Joseph Aoun urges Rubio to prioritise immediate truce
• Israeli forces cross Litani River, order mass evacuations

WASHINGTON: Lebanese and Israeli military officials met at the Pentagon on Friday to discuss the implementation of a ceasefire, as Israeli forces pushed deeper into southern Lebanon and civilian casualties mounted.

The US-mediated talks aimed to reinforce a faltering April 16 truce, which both sides agreed on May 15 to extend by 45 days as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, in a phone call, told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that halting the conflict was crucial.

Aoun “emphasised the need to exert all efforts to reach a ceasefire, considering it an essential gateway to moving on to any other step”, according to a statement from his office.

A US official confirmed the Washington talks were proceeding, adding, “The only path to lasting peace is through direct negotiations between the two sovereign governments.”

Israel and Lebanon agreed to split negotiations into diplomatic and security tracks, with diplomatic meetings expected next week at the State Department.

An Israeli source noted the talks would likely not cover Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold where Israel has largely paused attacks due to US pressure.

Lebanon’s delegation planned to demand Israel halt its intensifying attacks. Meanwhile, Hezbollah urged Lebanese authorities to withdraw, accusing Israel of “seeking to impose security coordination to benefit its aggression”.

Israeli expansion

Israel vowed to ramp up its offensive, expanding ground operations beyond a security zone it has occupied since mid-April. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that troops had advanced past the Litani River, about 30 kilometres into southern Lebanon.

“Our forces have crossed the Litani and advanced to controlling positions,” Netanyahu said. “We are operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa (Valley), across the entire width of the front, and are dealing Hezbollah a crushing blow.”

Lebanese security sources said Israeli troops crossed the Litani near Zawtar al-Sharqiyah on Thursday before retreating, then crossed again on Friday. Israel also issued evacuation warnings for seven southern towns.

On Thursday, the military ordered residents south of the Zahrani River to flee, declaring the area a combat zone.

The intensified Israeli strikes are severely threatening historical landmarks. Culture Minister Ghassan Salame said bombings fell very close to the ruins of Tyre, a Unesco World Heritage site, and the medieval Beaufort castle was directly hit.

“The intensification of the battles means that these sites are in serious danger,” Salame said, adding that the multi-religious site of Shamaa was severely bombed, losing at least three of its four domes.

The humanitarian toll continues to climb. An average of 11 children have been killed or injured every 24 hours in Lebanon over the past week, the UN agency said.

Unicef said 77 children were killed or injured in the last seven days. Since the April 16 ceasefire announcement, 55 children have been killed and 212 wounded.

“Under international humanitarian law, children and civilian infrastructure must be protected,” Unicef spokesperson Ricardo Pires said.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2026