Amid a charged atmosphere on the ground, the Israeli occupation army expanded its circle of targeting, issuing "urgent" evacuation warnings, the first of its kind in terms of comprehensiveness, to Bekaa towns since the ceasefire in Lebanon came into effect .
The warnings included residents of 8 towns in the south and the Bekaa (Labaya, Sahmar, Tufaha, Kafr Malki, Yahmar al-Bekaa, Ain al-Tineh, Homin al-Fawqa, and Mazraat Sinai), calling on residents to stay away from open lands for a distance of one kilometer, in an indication of the occupation's intention to expand the area of military operations.
The bill of blood and destruction: shocking numbers
Lebanese sources described the past hours as a "hellish day", as 22 people , including 8 children, were killed in a series of Israeli raids targeting cars, southern towns and on the Lebanese coastal road .
The Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research documented the scale of the disaster, pointing out that more than 3,300 Israeli violations were recorded in less than a month, while the number of destroyed and partially damaged housing units since 2023 exceeded the barrier of 230,000 units, amid widespread destruction that inflicted on entire villages such as Khayyam, Bint Jbeil and Taybeh.
Berri to the US ambassador: "Leave the rest to me"
Politically, as all eyes turned to the American capital, the decisive position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, stood out, who told the US ambassador Michel Issa clearly: "Give me the ceasefire and the rest is on me."
This position reflects a Lebanese attempt to extract an immediate calm in exchange for political guarantees, but the Lebanese side is confronted with American coldness and Israeli allegations that seek to turn the south into an isolated region, amid American diplomatic advice to "forget the south" in the foreseeable future.
Washington Negotiations: A Conflict of Priorities
These developments coincide with the anticipation of the start of the third round of direct negotiations in Washington later on Thursday, with the participation of two delegations, headed by Ambassador Simon Karam from Lebanon and Yahiel Leiter from the Israeli side.
Lebanese sources said that Lebanon adheres to the demands of the stabilization of the ceasefire and the comprehensive withdrawal, and Tel Aviv insists on linking any political track to the file of "disarming Hezbollah" and securing the northern borders as a priority before stopping the aggression.
The Horizon of Pessimism and the Dangers of Escalation
Despite diplomatic efforts, pessimism prevails in Lebanese official circles, driven by Israeli reports of plans to expand the "ground maneuver" and deepen the incursion.
According to Lebanese media, sources close to the atmosphere of the negotiations believe that Washington and Tel Aviv are treating the war as an opportunity to redraw regional balances and weaken Iranian influence, amid fears of more violent rounds of escalation that may affect the capital Beirut and the southern suburbs to impose harsh post-arms settlement conditions.