Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun vowed to "do the impossible" to stop Israel's war on the country, as it faces attacks despite a ceasefire.
The US-brokered truce came into effect last month, but it has done little to curb Israel’s attacks or bring respite to the Lebanese public. Civilians in the south have faced Israeli strikes, mass demolitions and forced displacement orders almost daily since April 17, making a broad ceasefire a key demand for Lebanon in direct talks with Israel.
"My duty, based on my position and my responsibility, is to do the impossible, and to choose what is least costly, to stop the war against Lebanon and its people," Mr Aoun said on Monday. "We have experienced wars before and seen where they lead Lebanon. Can anyone still bear their cost?"
A third round of talks between Lebanon and Israel were held last week in Washington, resulting in a 45-day extension of the ceasefire. But at least five people, including two children, were killed in overnight Israeli strikes on at least 15 towns in southern Lebanon, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
Israeli forces continue to attack and demolish homes and civilian infrastructure in the south, razing dozens of villages. Data analysis conducted by The National found that demolitions using heavy machinery or controlled explosions in the south more than doubled after April 16.
Hezbollah, which initially said it was committed to the ceasefire, has continued to attack Israeli troops in southern Lebanon in response to Israeli breaches of the truce.
Cementing ceasefire
Israel and Lebanon are to reconvene in Washington on June 2 and 3, after the US State Department described last week's talks as "highly productive". The meeting was the highest-level contact between Lebanon and Israel in decades.
The countries also agreed to expand military-to-military communication and co-ordination through an effort to be launched at the Pentagon on May 29.
Mr Aoun said the framework for future talks included five key points – the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory; a ceasefire; the deployment of Lebanese troops along the border; the return of displaced families; and economic support for reconstruction.
More than 670 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since the truce was announced and analysts have described it as "ink on paper". Karim Emile Bitar, a professor of international relations at Saint Joseph University of Beirut, told The National last week that the ceasefire was “completely meaningless and detached from the reality on the ground”.
“It is violated daily, hundreds of civilians have died and it seems to be an Israeli strategy aimed at buying time and helping [US President] Donald Trump in his communication strategy so that he can claim serious negotiations are under way," Prof Bitar added.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah resumed on March 2 when the Iran-backed group launched rockets into Israel, joining the broader conflict against the US and Israel in support of Tehran.
Israel's air and ground attacks have killed at least 2,988 people, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. Strikes have displaced nearly a million people from the south and kept Israeli troops within the “yellow line”, an occupied area covering almost six per cent of Lebanese territory.
