Lebanon urges US to halt Israeli strikes

Lebanon is trying to use Washington as the brake pedal. This week, President Joseph Aoun and other top Lebanese officials told the U.S. ambassador in Beirut that Israel needs to stop striking inside Lebanon and stop demolishing homes in the south. The timing is the story — the appeal came just days before the U.S. hosts another round of Israel-Lebanon talks on May 14 and 15. So this is not just a complaint. It is Lebanon trying to shape the terms of the diplomacy before the room opens. ### What exactly did Lebanon ask for? Aoun asked U.S. ambassador Lisa Johnson to pressure Israel to cease fire and halt home demolitions in southern Lebanon. Other Lebanese leaders made the same case. The message was simple: if the U.S. wants serious talks, it also has to deliver some restraint from Israel on the ground. (usnews.com) ### Why now? Because the next U.S.-facilitated talks are scheduled for May 14 and 15, and they are supposed to move beyond crisis management into a broader peace-and-security framework. The State Department said the goal is a more comprehensive agreement that addresses both countries’ core concerns. Lebanon is basically saying that talks about security look hollow if Israeli jets are still hitting Lebanese territory days beforehand. (usnews.com) ### What is Israel still doing in Lebanon? Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah fighters, infrastructure, and weapons-related sites. But from Lebanon’s side, the strikes and demolitions look like a continuing military campaign despite the truce announced on April 17. That gap matters. One side frames the attacks as ongoing counter-Hezbollah operations. The other frames them as violations that undermine the ceasefire itself. (state.gov) ### How bad has the recent toll been? Lebanon’s health ministry said 74 people were killed by Israeli strikes over three days, the figure that gave this week’s appeal its urgency. Separate reporting also says dozens have been killed since the truce took effect. Even if the exact running totals vary across outlets and ministries, the broader point is clear — the ceasefire has not meant an actual stop to violence. (usnews.com) ### Why is the U.S. in the middle? Because Washington is the only outside player both sides are still willing to use as the main channel. The U.S. is facilitating direct contacts and now these May 14-15 talks. But the catch is that America is not just a mediator in Lebanese eyes. It is also Israel’s key ally. So every Lebanese appeal to Washington carries a second message: prove you can influence Israel, not just convene meetings. (usnews.com) ### What are these talks really about? Officially, they are about a broader peace and security arrangement. In practice, a huge part of that means Hezbollah — its weapons, its presence near the border, and the authority of the Lebanese state in the south. Israeli officials and outside analysts have treated Hezbollah’s military role as the core obstacle. Lebanon, meanwhile, wants any process to start with Israeli restraint and respect for the truce. (state.gov) ### Why is this so hard to settle? Because each side wants the other to move first. Lebanon wants strikes to stop. Israel wants Hezbollah pushed back, weakened, or disarmed. That is the whole deadlock in one sentence. If Washington cannot narrow that sequencing fight, the diplomacy risks turning into a parallel track — talks in Washington, strikes in Lebanon. (state.gov) ### Bottom line? Lebanon’s appeal is really a test for the U.S. The meetings on May 14 and 15 matter, but their credibility depends on whether Washington can convert diplomacy into fewer explosions on the ground. Right now, that link is still missing. (usnews.com) (aljazeera.com)