Lebanon’s Prez calls for negotiations to end continued Israeli strikes

Beirut: Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said Friday that any negotiations with Israel to halt its ongoing strikes on southern Lebanon — which have continued despite a nearly year-old US-brokered ceasefire — must be mutual.

Aoun made the remarks following talks with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, who was on a four-day Middle East tour and visited Beirut on his first official trip since taking office.

The visit came as Israel has recently intensified its strikes on southern Lebanon. Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, which nominally ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war last November. The conflict started after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas and the Palestinians, prompting Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in return. The low-level exchanges escalated into full-scale war in September 2024.

Since the ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes across southern Lebanon, saying they target Hezbollah militants, weapons depots and command centres. Israeli forces have also maintained positions on several strategic points inside Lebanese territory. Lebanese officials have accused Israel of striking civilian areas and destroying infrastructure unrelated to Hezbollah.