Israeli Forces Cross Litani River, Netanyahu Says, Escalating Attacks on Hezbollah

Israeli forces advanced to positions north of Lebanon's Litani River as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that "Our forces have crossed the Litani and advanced to controlling positions," while Israel escalated attacks against Hezbollah militants after warning thousands more Lebanese to flee their villages.

“At least 14 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes targeting towns in southern Lebanon, according to state-run media, as Lebanese and Israeli military delegations hold security talks at the Pentagon”

Al Jazeera

The advance came as the U.S. military hosted Israeli and Lebanese defence representatives in Washington, D.C., to pursue a U.S.-brokered plan to forge peace and disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah, with the talks also aiming to reinforce an April 16 ceasefire that has failed to halt cross-border fighting.

Al Jazeera

The fighting has displaced more than 1.2 million Lebanese since March 2, and Lebanon's Health Ministry said Israeli strikes have killed more than 3,200 people, while UNICEF said 77 children have been killed or injured in the past seven days.

Israeli warplanes pounded Lebanon's south and east as Hezbollah fired drones and rockets into Israel, and Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said troops would continue pursuing what he described as Hezbollah "launch squads" and their operators and commanders at every level.

Lebanese security sources said Israeli troops crossed the Litani near the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah on Thursday but retreated to the southern bank later, before crossing back over the Litani again on Friday at an eastern point close to the Israeli border.

At the Pentagon on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a ceasefire with Israel was crucial as security talks began, with Aoun's office saying the president "emphasized the need to exert all efforts to reach a ceasefire, considering it an essential gateway to moving on to any other step."

The National reported that Rubio commended Aoun on his "courage and vision" in pursuing direct negotiations with Israel, while State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Hezbollah is "entirely responsible" for the continuing violence and stressed the need for the group to "immediately cease its attacks and provocations to enable de-escalation."

Anadolu Ajansi

The National said Hezbollah is not part of the deal and violence has surged across Lebanon in recent weeks, even as Netanyahu announced Israeli forces had advanced to positions north of Lebanon's Litani River.

The National also quoted Michael Rubin, director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum, saying that as long as Hezbollah maintains heavy weapons and troops, any ceasefire is illusionary, and that Israeli advances into Lebanon establish "diplomatic chits" that Israel can bargain away in exchange for the Lebanese Armed Forces stepping up to disarm Hezbollah.

Arab News added that Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc urged Lebanese authorities to withdraw from direct negotiations with Israel, accusing Israel of "seeking to impose security coordination to benefit its aggression" in the military talks.

As Israeli strikes continued across Lebanon and the war with Hezbollah persisted, DW reported that peace hopes for upcoming direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington were fading, with the escalation tied to Israel's stepped-up airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in east and south Lebanon.

“BEIRUT: Lebanese and Israeli military delegations got security talks at the Pentagon underway on Friday, during which Beirut will demand Israel halt its attacks, which have intensified in recent days”

ARAB NEWS

NBC News said the Israeli military early Thursday pounded Lebanon’s fourth-largest city, killing at least 14 people across the south of the country, and it reported that dozens of others were wounded according to the Lebanese Health Ministry and the state-run National News Agency.

NBC News also said more than 1 million people in Lebanon have been displaced by the war, and that at least 3,269 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the start of the war with more than 9,800 wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The stakes for the talks were underscored by the U.S. position that the only path to lasting peace is through direct negotiations between the two sovereign governments, with CBC reporting a U.S. official saying: "The only path to lasting peace is through direct negotiations between the two sovereign governments."

In parallel, the Pentagon security track was described by The Media Line as focused on border security, Hezbollah’s disarmament, and a timeline for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese Armed Forces prioritized a clear ceasefire framework and a timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.