Web Desk/AFP

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;Israel and Lebanon released a joint statement saying that they held &ldquo;productive discussions&rdquo; and agreed to launch direct negotiations as the two sides met in Washington, the United States said on Tuesday. &quot;The participants held productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon,&quot; State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement. &quot;All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue,&quot; he said. The announcement came after Israeli and Lebanese envoys held more than two hours of talks mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. &quot;The United States congratulated the two countries on this historic milestone and expressed its support for further talks, and for the government of Lebanon&#39;s plans to restore the monopoly of force and to end Iran&#39;s overbearing influence,&quot; Pigott said. And it &quot;affirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track,&quot; he added. Lebanon was pulled into the region-wide Iran war on March 2 after pro-Tehran Hezbollah attacked Israel. Since then, Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million, despite international calls for a ceasefire, and Israeli ground forces have invaded southern Lebanon.

Middle East

Israel and Lebanon agree to launch direct negotiations after “productive” talks in Washington mediated by Marco Rubio, marking a potential step toward de-escalation.

Israel, Lebanon agree to direct negotiations after 'productive' talks: US

BEIRUT: Lebanon&#39;s presidency said Friday that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the start of negotiations between the neighbors.&nbsp;Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly expressed readiness for direct talks with Israel.&nbsp;After a ceasefire was announced between the United States and Iran this week, Washington and Tehran have been at odds over whether it also applies to Lebanon, as Israel has kept up heavy strikes on the country and Hezbollah has responded with its own attacks.&nbsp;A statement from Aoun&#39;s office said that a first telephone call was held on Friday between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington and the US ambassador to Lebanon, who was also in the American city.&nbsp;&quot;During the call, it was agreed to hold the first meeting next Tuesday at the State Department to discuss declaring a ceasefire and the start date for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under US auspices,&quot; the presidency statement said.&nbsp;A Lebanese government official told AFP on Thursday that Lebanon wants a ceasefire before starting any negotiations with Israel.&nbsp;Earlier Friday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem urged the Lebanese government to stop giving &quot;free concessions&quot; to Israel and vowed that &quot;the resistance will continue until the last breath&quot;.&nbsp;Hezbollah has rejected direct talks between the two countries, instead calling for Israel&#39;s army to withdraw from Lebanon.

Lebanon and Israel will meet in Washington to discuss a ceasefire and possible negotiations. Lebanon seeks a truce first, while Hezbollah opposes talks, urging continued resistance and demanding Israeli withdrawal despite ongoing clashes.

Lebanon presidency says Israel talks to take place Tuesday in Washington

Web Desk

US and Iran confirm coming to Islamabad for peace talks, Israel continues to strike Lebanon as Tehran guarantees safe passage for maritime traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, Pakistan PM Sharif invites delegations from both countries to Islamabad, 'to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes.'



Day 40: All you need to know about US-Israel war on Iran

BEIRUT: Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Saturday that 46 rescuers and five medical staff had been killed by Israel since the start of the war with Hezbollah on March 2. Nassereddine said in a press conference that &quot;the number of martyrs in the health sector... is 51 martyrs... including 46 paramedics and 5 health workers, including nine new paramedic martyrs today.&quot; The minister said the nine medics killed in south Lebanon on Saturday included four from Hezbollah&#39;s Islamic Health Committee who were targeted by Israeli strikes while carrying out rescue missions, and five from the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement&#39;s Risala Scouts, who were also on duty.

Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine said Saturday that 46 rescuers and five medical staff had been killed by Israel since the start of the war with Hezbollah on March 2

Lebanon says 46 rescuers, 5 medical staff killed in Israel-Hezbollah war

Americas

Israel's military said an Iranian missile on Saturday struck the southern town of Dimona, home to a nuclear facility, after medics reported some 20 people injured by shrapnel.

All you need to know about Day 22 of US-Israeli war on Iran

US President Donald Trump signs an executive order during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House on March 16, 2026, in Washington, DC (AFP)

Europe

US President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out reaching a ceasefire agreement with Iran, saying Washington has the upper hand in the three-week-old war.

All you need to know about Day 21 of US-Israeli war on Iran

BEIRUT: UN peacekeepers said they were fired upon &quot;likely by non-state armed groups&quot; in south Lebanon on Sunday, while a Hamas source said an Israeli strike killed an official from the Palestinian group. Israel said no direct talks were planned with Lebanon to end the latest war with militant group Hezbollah, which has been raging for two weeks. The statement came a day after a Lebanese official said Beirut was preparing a delegation to negotiate with Israel. Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war on March 2 when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, with Israel launching air raids on the neighboring country and troop incursions into border areas. Lebanese authorities said the death toll in Israeli attacks rose to 850, while more than 830,000 people have registered as displaced, including some 130,000 staying in collective shelters. Driving rain on Sunday piled more misery on displaced people, hundreds of whom have been sleeping rough or in tents near central Beirut&#39;s seafront. Coffee shop owner Nader, 42, displaced from Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs, said he had rebuilt his home after the previous Israel-Hezbollah conflict in 2024 and feared it had again been destroyed. &quot;Here we have nothing, and the situation is very bad with the heavy rains and wind -- it&#39;s very cold, lots of babies are sick, and we can&#39;t protect them,&quot; he told AFP. &#39;No&#39; talksThe United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said its peacekeepers were fired upon three times on Sunday, &quot;likely by non-state armed groups&quot; in the country&#39;s south, two days after a different position was hit by fire that Lebanon&#39;s official National News Agency (NNA) had blamed on Israel. The NNA reported Israeli strikes on the country&#39;s south and east on Sunday, while Hezbollah claimed a series of attacks on sites in Israel and on Israeli troops in south Lebanon. The group also said its fighters fired an &quot;advanced missile&quot; at the Palmachim air base south of Tel Aviv. The NNA said Israel struck &quot;an apartment in a residential building&quot; in a northern district of the coastal city of Sidon, killing one person and causing a fire. An AFP correspondent saw damage to an apartment building as the army cordoned off the area while rescue teams fought a blaze and residents rushed into the street, some carrying belongings. The Hamas source, requesting anonymity, said official Wissam Taha was killed. Israel has repeatedly struck Hamas targets in Lebanon in recent years, including during previous hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah that erupted over the Gaza war, and after a 2024 ceasefire. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has proposed direct negotiations with Israel, but Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday responded &quot;no&quot; when asked whether Israel was set to hold such talks. Maritime border deal&nbsp;Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen instead called for the cancellation of a US-brokered 2022 maritime border deal with Lebanon, adding that &quot;a vague promise&quot; of improved security for Israel under the deal &quot;was not fulfilled&quot;. A Lebanese official had told AFP on Saturday that the country was preparing to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel, but that there was no agenda, timing, or location yet decided for any talks. French President Emmanuel Macron has said the Lebanese government was ready to engage in &quot;direct talks&quot; with Israel, and he offered to host negotiations. Israel&#39;s military also renewed an evacuation warning for Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs, which it has repeatedly struck in the past fortnight. An AFP photographer in south Beirut saw empty streets covered with debris and buildings flattened, with smoke still rising in the area after strikes in previous days. Southeast of Sidon, Lebanon&#39;s health ministry said an overnight strike killed three people in the village of Al-Qatrani. While Israel&#39;s military said it hit &quot;several Hezbollah launch sites&quot; there. The Israeli army also said it had destroyed &quot;command centres&quot; belonging to Hezbollah&#39;s elite Radwan Force in Beirut.

An Israeli self-propelled howitzer artillery gun fires rounds towards southern Lebanon from a position in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border on March 15, 2026 (AFP)

Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks continued across Lebanon, with a Hamas official killed in Sidon; Authorities reported 850 deaths and more than 830,000 displaced, as Israel rejected direct negotiations with Lebanon to end the fighting.

UN force in Lebanon says peacekeepers fired upon

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said Lebanon was ready to engage in &quot;direct talks&quot; with Israel and offered to host negotiations in Paris. &quot;The Lebanese government has signalled its willingness to engage in direct talks with Israel,&quot; he said on X, adding that &quot;all sections of society must be represented in these talks.&quot; &quot;France is ready to facilitate these talks by hosting them in Paris,&quot; Macron said, adding he had spoken to the president and prime minister of Lebanon, a former French protectorate. &quot;Everything must be done to prevent Lebanon from descending into chaos,&quot; Macron added. &quot;Hezbollah must immediately halt its reckless course. Israel must abandon plans for a large-scale offensive and cease its massive air strikes.&quot; Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war last week when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Friday his group was ready for a long confrontation with Israel.

French President Emmanuel Macron says Lebanon is ready for direct talks with Israel and offers Paris as a venue for negotiations, while urging Hezbollah to halt attacks and Israel to abandon plans for a large-scale offensive

Macron urges Israel to hold 'direct talks' with Lebanon

BEIRUT: Three UN peacekeepers were wounded when their base in southern Lebanon was hit on Friday, the UN force and the Ghanaian military said, with Lebanon&#39;s president accusing Israel of targeting them. The attack came as Israel and Iran&#39;s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah exchanged fire after the Middle East war expanded into the country on Monday. &quot;Amidst heavy firing this evening, three peacekeepers were injured inside their base in... Qawzah&quot; in southern Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement. &quot;The most severely injured has been transferred to a hospital in Beirut for treatment.&quot; Ghana&#39;s military said that its UNIFIL battalion headquarters came under &quot;two missile attacks,&quot; adding that &quot;two soldiers are critically injured, while one other has been traumatized.&quot;&quot;The officers&#39; mess facility also got hit and has been burnt down completely.&quot; Neither UNIFIL nor the Ghanaian army specified the source of the attack, but the international force said it will investigate the circumstances of the incident. &quot;It is unacceptable that peacekeepers performing (UN) Security Council-mandated tasks are targeted,&quot; it added. In a statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned &quot;Israeli attacks on Lebanon,&quot; adding that they had &quot;even reached the point of a direct assault on UNIFIL.&quot; French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the &quot;unacceptable attack&quot; on UNIFIL after speaking with his Lebanese and Syrian counterparts. &quot;France is working with its partners to prevent the conflict from spreading further in the region,&quot; Macron said on X, highlighting the &quot;key stabilising role&quot; played by the UN force. In a post on X, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said that she was &quot;dismayed that our colleagues have suffered injuries and wishing them a full recovery&quot;. UNIFIL has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon for decades and was assisting the Lebanese army while it was dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure near the Israeli border after the last war opposing the Iran-backed group and Israel in 2024. It plans to withdraw all troops from Lebanon by mid-2027.&nbsp;

Three UN peacekeepers were wounded when their base in southern Lebanon was hit on Friday, the UN force and the Ghanaian military said, with Lebanon's president accusing Israel of targeting them

UN peacekeepers from Ghana wounded in south Lebanon attack

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for dozens of locations in Lebanon on Tuesday, including a warning for residents in two southern Beirut neighbourhoods to stay away from several buildings ahead of imminent military action. &quot;Urgent warning to the residents of Lebanon, specifically in the villages which names are shown. For your safety you must evacuate your homes immediately,&quot; said a statement by the military&#39;s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee on Telegram, which listed 50 locations. Many of the locations were across the south of Lebanon, which Israel regularly targets with the aim of hitting Hezbollah infrastructure. &quot;You are located near Hezbollah facilities and interests, against which the IDF will operate in the near future,&quot; he told the residents of southern Beirut neighbourhoods Ghobeiry and Haret Hreik in another evacuation warning. Lebanon&#39;s government on Monday took the unprecedented step of banning Hezbollah&#39;s military and security activity, prompting the Iran-backed group to lash out at the decision. Hezbollah is represented in both the government and parliament, and the move came hours after it announced it had launched rockets and drones towards Israel early Monday to avenge the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli attacks. Israel bombarded Beirut&#39;s southern suburbs and dozens of villages in south Lebanon on Monday in response, vowing to make the group pay a &quot;heavy price&quot;. The Lebanese health ministry said the strikes killed at least 31 people and wounded at least 149.

Israeli army ordered new evacuation orders for multiple locations across Lebanon

Articles tagged with "Lebanon"

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UN force in Lebanon says peacekeepers fired upon

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Israel army issues new evacuation warnings in Lebanon

Israel, Lebanon agree to direct negotiations after 'productive' talks: US