Topic analysis

Lebanon says ceasefire must be in place before Israel talks

A senior official in Lebanon's president's office stated that Lebanon will only join direct US-hosted negotiations with Israel next week if a ceasefire is in place first, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the talks citing repeated Lebanese requests. Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes on Lebanon continue, with the Lebanese health ministry reporting at least 357 deaths from Wednesday's bombardment (with tolls still rising due to rubble removal and DNA testing), ongoing rocket exchanges with Hezbollah, and a growing humanitarian crisis that has displaced over a million people and strained UN aid delivery efforts.