Israeli Army Get Ordered to Scale Back Strikes in Lebanon Before US Talks

(MENAFN) According to reports, the Israeli military has been directed to scale back its operations in Lebanon in the days leading up to scheduled direct discussions between Israel and Lebanon set for Tuesday in Washington. This development comes even as Israeli air operations reportedly continue at a high intensity across Lebanese territory.

Reports citing an unnamed security source say that military instructions were issued to “reduce strikes” in the coming period, with a particular emphasis on lowering the level of attacks in Lebanon before the negotiations begin. The reported intention behind this adjustment is to “build confidence” ahead of the talks, although Israel is still said to maintain its position that it has no plans to withdraw from the buffer zone it established inside Lebanese territory.

At the same time, there has been no official confirmation from the Israeli military regarding these reported instructions. Meanwhile, airstrikes have continued, with Saturday’s attacks reportedly resulting in 97 fatalities and 133 injuries.

In a separate set of reports, unnamed political sources in Israel suggest that current assessments in Tel Aviv indicate Hezbollah may increase its attacks in the next two days, continuing until the start of the negotiations.

Separately, it has been announced by the Lebanese presidency that Lebanon and Israel have agreed to hold their first meeting on April 14 at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C.

The meeting is expected to focus on securing a ceasefire and initiating direct dialogue between the two sides.

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