Israel-Lebanon negotiations resume in Washington after Hezbollah claims IDF violated ceasefire

The fifth round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon opened on Tuesday in Washington, with the talks centered on creating "pilot areas" where Israeli forces would withdraw in order for the Lebanese army to prove its ability to disarm Hezbollah.Just before the talks began, Hezbollah claimed that the IDF "violated" the ceasefire, saying that soldiers opened fire with "automatic weapons towards a group of civilians" near Nabatiya at approximately 11:30 a.m.It called the alleged incident "treacherous" and claimed that two civilians were killed, and two more were injured.This "constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire, which the resistance [Hezbollah's term for itself] has been careful to uphold until now," the terror group stated.Earlier on Tuesday, Lebanese media reported that negotiators were discussing returning the remains of missing Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad in exchange for Lebanese prisoners.Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post that they were unaware of this development and had no new information on Ron Arad, but that they would be pleased to hear if Lebanese officials had new intel.Lebanon President Joseph Aoun said that his government would "accept nothing less than the end of the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon.""We are heading into a new round that we hope will be decisive on the path to accomplishing what we want for the good of our country and people, and this good we see in restoring Lebanon's full sovereignty over every inch of soil and extending the state's authority over all our land," he said during a Lebanese government cabinet meeting.رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون ترأس بعد ظهر اليوم اجتماعاً حضره قائد الجيش العماد رودولف هيكل وأعضاء الفريق الاستشاري المواكب للمفاوضات اللبنانية-الأميركية-الإسرائيلية في واشنطن، وذلك لمتابعة مداولات اجتماع الوفد اللبناني الدبلوماسي والعسكري في الجولة الخامسة من المفاوضات.…— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) June 23, 2026IDF strikes Hezbollah terrorists targeting soldiers in southern LebanonHezbollah's statement follows the IDF striking an armed Hezbollah cell operating near soldiers in the Ali Taher Ridge area of southern Lebanon, in the Security Zone.The military confirmed the strike earlier on Tuesday.Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon will resume talks in Washington later on Tuesday.Amichai Stein contributed to this report.