Israel gives Lebanon two weeks to reach an agreement

29th April 2026

3 minutes read

Israel gives Lebanon two weeks to reach an agreement

The Israeli army is signaling the possibility of full military escalation if negotiations between the two countries fail.

On Wednesday, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority revealed that Tel Aviv has set a two-week deadline for Lebanon to reach an agreement during the ongoing negotiations, within the truce currently in effect until mid-May, while warning of renewed military escalation if this period ends without results.

Since March 2, Israel has been conducting an offensive against Lebanon that has resulted in a total of 2,534 deaths, 7,863 injuries, and more than 1.6 million displaced persons, representing one-fifth of the population, according to the latest official data.

On April 17, a ten-day truce began and was later extended until May 17. However, Israel violates it daily through deadly bombardments and widespread destruction of homes in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army carried out more than 65 attacks on southern Lebanon, killing at least 22 people, including three civil defense members, and injuring 84 others.

The official Broadcasting Authority stated that “Israel has set a narrow timeframe for talks with Lebanon, not exceeding two weeks, in order to reach an effective agreement between the two sides,” explaining that the Hebrew state links the current extension of the ceasefire until mid-May to the necessity of reaching a “real agreement with Lebanon.”

It quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying: “We cannot wait indefinitely… We will grant negotiations one final opportunity for only two weeks.”

According to the Authority, Israeli assessments indicate that “failure to achieve tangible progress during this period will lead to the resumption of fighting and the launch of intensive military operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.”

In recent days, Israeli attacks and threats against Lebanon have increased despite the ceasefire agreement. Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to “burn Lebanon,” stating: “There will be no real ceasefire as long as our forces continue to be shelled,” referring to Hezbollah’s responses to truce violations.

The Broadcasting Authority also pointed to efforts led by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to arrange a direct meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun within the two-week period, despite significant doubts among concerned parties regarding the feasibility of such a high-level summit.

Aoun has repeatedly defended the option of direct negotiations with Israel, asserting that “this does not constitute treason,” in response to internal criticism, while directing sharp criticism at Hezbollah, considering that “the real treason is dragging the country into a war to serve external interests.”

On Monday, Aoun emphasized that the ceasefire represents “a first and necessary step for any subsequent negotiations” with Israel, noting that this position had already been conveyed to the American side responsible for mediation, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

Aoun’s remarks came after Hezbollah, through its Secretary-General Naim Qassem, reaffirmed its rejection of any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, stressing adherence to the “option of resistance.”

Qassem also criticized the holding of two rounds of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel for the first time in 43 years in Washington a few days ago under U.S. sponsorship, describing the negotiations as a “free and humiliating concession that is unnecessary.”

Israel continues to occupy territories in southern Lebanon, where its military presence is divided between areas occupied for decades and others seized during the wars of 2023 and 2024, culminating in the recent incursion that reached approximately 10 kilometers inside the southern border as part of the current offensive.

At the same time, Israel continues its occupation of Palestine and Syrian territories, and refuses to withdraw or comply with United Nations resolutions that call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.