Fresh US diplomatic efforts are underway as Washington seeks to revive ceasefire negotiations and prevent further escalation along the Israel-Lebanon border.
File image: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Courtesy: Xinhua via IANS)
A fresh US diplomatic push to halt fighting between Israel and Lebanon is gathering momentum, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally engaging leaders on both sides as negotiations enter a potentially decisive phase this week.
Lebanese media reports suggest that efforts to stabilise the conflict could yield results after a scheduled round of talks on Tuesday between Lebanese and Israeli representatives. The latest initiative comes as Washington seeks to contain escalating tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier and revive a ceasefire framework that collapsed earlier this year.
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According to Lebanon’s LBCI television, any progress made through the current mediation effort could be announced following Tuesday’s negotiations. Multiple reports indicate that the Trump administration has floated a new ceasefire proposal aimed at reducing hostilities that have intensified after weeks of relative calm.
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Axios reported that Rubio held separate conversations over the past two days with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an attempt to advance the proposal. The report cited US and Lebanese officials familiar with the discussions.
The renewed diplomatic activity comes days after Israeli forces announced the capture of the Beaufort hilltop in southern Lebanon, a strategic position overlooking parts of the region near Nabatiyeh.
“Forty-four years after the heroic Battle of Beaufort, our troops have returned to the summit and raised the Israeli flag,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said following the operation.
The Israeli military advance has triggered concern among several European governments.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and said the situation in southern Lebanon represented a major escalation. In remarks shared after consultations with regional leaders, Macron stressed that fighting must end permanently and argued that a swift agreement between the United States and Iran was essential.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also urged restraint, warning that continued military operations were narrowing opportunities for diplomacy.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul echoed those concerns, describing the Israeli push deeper into southern Lebanon as troubling and calling on all parties to halt hostilities.
Lebanese state media reported that Israeli authorities contacted officials in the town of Loubiyeh, urging residents to evacuate. Similar warnings have reportedly been issued in several southern Lebanese communities in recent days.
The latest tensions have revived memories of previous conflicts between the two countries. Israel occupied parts of southern Lebanon for nearly two decades after its 1982 invasion and withdrew in 2000 following sustained resistance from Hezbollah.
Another major confrontation erupted in 2006, ending with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which stipulated that the area between the Israeli border and the Litani River should remain under the control of the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers.
Efforts to find a diplomatic solution have also continued in Washington.
On Friday, Israeli and Lebanese military officers met at the Pentagon to discuss a possible ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, Hezbollah’s disarmament and the deployment of Lebanese armed forces in southern Lebanon.
The Pentagon described the discussions as productive and said they focused on creating practical arrangements aimed at regional stability and security.
“The progress and tangible outcomes from these discussions will directly inform the Department of State-led political track, which is scheduled to reconvene next week,” the Pentagon said.
It added that the United States supports Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while backing efforts to prevent armed non-state groups from operating in the area.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam renewed calls for an end to the conflict over the weekend, saying his government remained committed to protecting Lebanon and preventing the country from becoming entangled in regional rivalries.
In comments carried by Lebanese media, Salam accused Israel of pursuing widespread destruction in southern Lebanon and said the military campaign was damaging towns, villages and civilian life.
In a televised address, he warned that the current escalation would deliver neither security nor stability and urged an immediate ceasefire to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
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