Lebanon’s president says security pact must precede Netanyahu meeting

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that he will not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until a security agreement is reached and Israeli attacks on Lebanon cease, according to a statement from his office.

“The timing is not appropriate” for a meeting, the statement continued.

The remarks come after Israeli and Lebanese officials held two rounds of U.S.-mediated talks in Washington last month, the first such meetings in decades.

The discussions followed escalating conflict triggered by Iran-backed Hezbollah launching an offensive against Israel on March 2, prompting Israeli airstrikes and a ground operation in Southern Lebanon.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire beginning April 17 after the first round, later extended by three weeks following further talks. A third round of preparatory discussions is expected in the coming days.

Washington has pushed for a direct meeting between Aoun and Netanyahu, with Trump suggesting it could take place at the White House within weeks.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut last week called for direct engagement between Lebanon and Israel, saying that Beirut faces a “historic opportunity” to reclaim its sovereignty and shape its future.

“Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation,” the embassy said in a social media post.

Direct talks between the neighboring states “can mark the beginning of a national revival,” the statement continued, adding that the current cessation of hostilities has created an opening for diplomacy.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday rejected negotiations with Jerusalem, with the terror chief calling them a “gratuitous concession,” while Aoun said there was “no turning back” from negotiations aimed at securing an Israeli withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Israeli operations against the Iranian terror proxy continued on Monday, with the Israel Defense Forces stating that soldiers had raided a Hezbollah launch site in Southern Lebanon. Troops found dozens of rockets and additional weapons, as well as loaded rocket launchers directed at IDF soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon. The statement added that the terror group had fired dozens of rockets at IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians from the area.

The IDF said on Monday evening that Hezbollah had over the past 24 hours launched several rockets toward IDF soldiers operating in Southern Lebanon, south of the “Forward Defense Line,” with the rockets falling adjacent to soldiers and causing no injuries. Hezbollah also launched explosive drones at IDF soldiers in Southern Lebanon in several additional incidents. The IDF on Tuesday morning reported that Hezbollah on Monday had also launched an anti-tank missile at Israeli forces, causing no injuries. The IDF subsequently struck and dismantled the structure from which the missile was launched.

The IDF also shared video of an armed drone striking two Hezbollah terrorists as they attempted to flee on a motorcycle after being identified operating near Israeli troops.

Hezbollah launched several mortar shells at IDF troops operating in Southern Lebanon in two separate incidents early Tuesday morning as well, the IDF said. No injuries were reported.

In a further update on Monday, the IDF said that troops dismantled a roughly 30-meter Hezbollah tunnel and several weapons sites in Southern Lebanon.

In a statement, the IDF said soldiers from the 226th Brigade, working with the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, uncovered and destroyed the underground route, which it said was used by Hezbollah to plan attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.

Nearby weapons storage facilities were also dismantled, containing about three tons of explosives, dozens of Claymore devices, additional explosive materials, mines and anti-tank weapons including Kornet missiles, the military said.

Separately, the IDF said forces from the 146th Division struck about 15 Hezbollah sites over the past 24 hours, including military structures, surveillance equipment and staging areas.

The military said operations would continue against threats to Israeli civilians and troops.

“Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire in Lebanon at the request of our close ally, President Trump, while continuing to apply both diplomatic and military pressure on Iran,” Religious Zionism lawmaker Ohad Tal told JNS on Monday.

At the same time, he said, the IDF continues to operate in Southern Lebanon, consolidating its presence in the new security zone, eliminating militants and dismantling terrorist infrastructure.

Israel, he noted, sees value in a potential agreement with the Lebanese government and is therefore engaged in negotiations. Such an agreement, if properly enforced, could shift the balance of power in the Middle East, weaken Hezbollah, sever the link between Tehran and Beirut, and reinforce Israel’s regional standing.

“Ultimately, there are two ways to dismantle Hezbollah. One is through a large-scale military confrontation—deploying multiple divisions, engaging in prolonged combat, and incurring significant human and economic costs. The other is through strategic isolation, which enables a more effective and focused military outcome,” said Tal.

“By isolating Iran—the primary sponsor of Hezbollah—we are effectively cutting off its oxygen supply. At the same time, we are isolating Hezbollah within the Lebanese arena, exposing it as a group that serves foreign interests and undermines the Lebanese state,” he continued.

“It is this combination of strategic statesmanship and sustained military operations that will allow Israel to defeat Hezbollah and restore peace and security on our northern border,” Tal added.