Lebanon and Israel extended their fifth round of US-mediated talks in Washington on Friday after Hezbollah leader Sayed Naim Qassem reiterated an unconditional demand for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory, while Beirut insisted any agreement must include a full Israeli pullout under a defined timetable.

The negotiations, which began earlier this week, were extended into an unscheduled sixth day as Lebanese officials refused to compromise on their core demand. “Israel has no choice but to withdraw unconditionally from all occupied Lebanese land,” Qassem told reporters in Beirut on Friday, rejecting any prospect of normalization between the two countries. His remarks echoed a statement from a senior Lebanese official who told Anadolu Agency that any declaration of principles emerging from Washington must guarantee a complete Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory within a specified timeframe. This insistence, the official said, was the reason the fifth round had been extended.

Israel, however, has resisted full withdrawal, with Israeli warplanes striking the southern Lebanese town of Beit Yahoun on Thursday—violating the existing ceasefire as negotiators met in Washington. The airstrike came as Lebanese and Israeli delegations concluded the fifth round of talks aimed at securing a lasting truce. Meanwhile, far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for an end to the Lebanon ceasefire after four Israeli soldiers were wounded in a grenade attack, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the US understood Israel’s right to defend itself.

The deadlock centers on contested areas along the Blue Line, particularly the so-called Yellow Line and Beaufort Castle, which Israel has refused to vacate. Lebanon demands a full withdrawal from all occupied villages and towns, a position that has stalled progress despite US mediation efforts. The ongoing violence—including Thursday’s airstrike—underscores the fragility of the ceasefire as negotiations drag on.

Amid the diplomatic impasse, thousands of Shiite Muslims in Nabatieh marked Ashoura on Friday, processing through neighborhoods devastated by recent Israeli strikes. The display of resilience came as international observers warned of the humanitarian toll of the conflict, with Lebanese civil society groups accusing the international community of indifference to the crisis in southern Lebanon.

Domestically, Israel’s political landscape remains volatile. Opposition leader Avigdor Liberman accused Netanyahu of “dragging Israel toward civil war” to cling to power, following protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews against the detention of Haredi draft evaders. Meanwhile, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has surged in opinion polls, positioning himself as a potential challenger to Netanyahu in elections scheduled for no later than October.

With no breakthrough in sight, the extended talks risk becoming a forum for posturing rather than progress, as both sides dig in on maximalist positions.

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Articles

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