Washington talks about fruitful and constructive negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv
The US State Department described the first day of the third round of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington as "fruitful and positive", stressing that the sessions will continue on Friday, May 15 to complete the discussion of security arrangements.
A senior State Department official said the negotiations were being held with the participation of high-level delegations from both sides, with Lebanon represented by Simon Karam and Beirut's ambassador to Washington, while the Israeli delegation was headed by Yossi Draznin and Ambassador Yehiel Leiter, under the auspices of a team from the US State Department.
Sources from Beirut said that the Lebanese delegation is on an immediate ceasefire before the end of the truce next Sunday, and that a timetable has been set for the withdrawal of Israeli forces, in addition to the release of detainees.
In return, Israel is insisting on long-term security guarantees, including the dismantling of Hezbollah's military structure, the extension of the authority of the Lebanese Armed Forces, as well as raising the issue of Lebanese boycott laws.
The two sides held two rounds of talks in the US capital on April 14 and 23, during which time US President Donald Trump proposed a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Beirut rejected, as Washington informed it of its rejection of any handshake or direct meeting between Aoun and Netanyahu before reaching a full security agreement and stopping the strikes
Hezbollah accuses Lebanese Authority of making gratuitous concessions to Israel
Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc accused Israel of "exploiting the negotiation sessions" with the Lebanese state, noting that "the PA is making concessions after concession without even obtaining a ceasefire."
This came in a statement by the party's "Loyalty to the Resistance" bloc, considering that the direct negotiations conducted by the PA team with the "Zionist" entity are accompanied by the enemy's continuation of its crimes and the attempt to expand its occupation of our land in the south.
She added that this "reaffirms the occupation's exploitation of the negotiation sessions and employing them for the benefit of its occupation, while the PA offers concessions after concessions without even obtaining a ceasefire," considering that "this contributes to increasing the intensity of internal divisions and rifts in society and in the state institutions itself."
"The PA continues its downward swing in the face of the arrogance of the Israeli enemy and forces it, and it expands its approach of aggression and destruction supported by American cover and support, while it only finds a way to regain rights, expel the occupation and preserve sovereignty," she said.
The bloc accused Israel of "escalating war crimes" in southern Lebanon, explaining that what its army is committing "will not dissuade the Lebanese people from adhering to their legitimate rights to defend themselves and their land."
It reiterated its call on the Lebanese Authority to "exit this political track" and return to "strengthening internal unity and national understandings."
The Lebanese authorities did not immediately comment on the statement of the parliamentary bloc "Hezbollah".
Israel admits killing of one of its soldiers in southern Lebanon
The Israeli army announced on Friday, May 15, that one of its soldiers was killed during battles in southern Lebanon on Thursday, as a result of being hit by a mortar shell, indicating that he belongs to the 12th Battalion of the Golani Brigade.
The broadcaster said that the soldier was killed by a mortar shell fired at the Israeli army on Thursday in southern Lebanon.
It pointed out that last April witnessed the death of a number of military personnel and employees of the Israeli Ministry of Security in southern Lebanon as a result of similar attacks, including two sergeants and a contractor.
In a related context, the Authority explained that the Air Force intercepted "last night a suspicious aerial target in the skies of southern Lebanon, where the army forces are operating, and the Galilee region was also subjected to the firing of 6 rocket shells, without causing any injuries or damage."
It pointed to the Israeli army's claims that it attacked "65 Hezbollah infrastructure, eliminated more than 20 militants, as well as targeted weapons depots, observation posts, headquarters and other structures" within 24 hours, without immediate comment from the party.
Hezbollah has been firing missiles and drones at Israeli forces and vehicles in southern Lebanon and northern Israel in response to its bloody violations of a truce that began on April 17 and ends on May 17.
Since March 2, Israel has been waging a large-scale aggression against Lebanon that has left thousands dead and wounded, according to Lebanese official figures, and the ceasefire agreement includes a clause that Israel exploits to justify its attacks, as it stipulates that it reserves what it claims is "its right to take all necessary measures for self-defense at any time against planned, imminent or ongoing attacks."