Zürcher Nachrichten - Trump to meet Lebanon, Israel envoys on truce extension

With Trump struggling to push Iran into a deal on the wider regional war, the United States is hoping for progress on Lebanon, which Israel has pounded in response to Hezbollah fire.

The talks, previously planned at the State Department like the first round last week and to be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were shifted to the White House.

"President Trump will greet both representatives upon their arrival," a US official said on condition of anonymity.

Israel stated ahead of the talks that it has no "serious disagreements" with the Lebanese government, calling on it to "work together" against Hezbollah, which is notably absent from and opposed to the negotiations.

During the meeting, Lebanon will request "to extend the ceasefire, which also includes a halt to the destruction of homes and attacks on civilians, places of worship, journalists and the medical and educational sectors," Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said.

A Lebanese official told AFP that the government would request the extension by one month.

Aoun said he hoped to visit Washington and meet with Trump.

However, he said he never planned to have a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, contradicting an announcement by Trump earlier this month.

The two countries have been at war for decades and had not met so directly since 1993.

Israel launched a major attack on Lebanon -- killing over 2,450 people and displacing one million, according to authorities -- in response to fire by Hezbollah, which vowed to avenge Israel's killing of Iran's supreme leader.

The United States announced a 10-day truce shortly after the first meeting. It is set to expire Sunday.

Israel and Lebanon will be represented by their ambassadors in Washington.

In an addition from the last round, a US official said the talks will also include the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, an evangelical pastor and stalwart defender of Israeli expansionism.

- Strikes ahead of talks -

Israeli strikes killed five people in Lebanon on Wednesday, as Israel continues to hit what it says are Hezbollah targets despite the ceasefire.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency on Thursday reported an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle near Nabatieh, around 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of the border with Israel.

Under the truce terms, Israel says it reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks."

Hezbollah on its end claimed at least two attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and said it targeted a reconnaissance drone in retaliation for Israel's "ceasefire violations."

Among the dead on Wednesday was a Lebanese newspaper journalist, Amal Khalil.

Israeli troops have also taken over southern Lebanese villages in a 10-kilometer (six-mile) deep "security zone" from its border.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said "the obstacle to peace and normalization between the countries is one -- Hezbollah."

Iran had demanded the truce in Lebanon as a condition to resume talks with Washington on a permanent end to weeks of war.

Iran refused to attend a second round of talks with the United States this week due to an ongoing US naval blockade.

But Trump extended a truce with Iran indefinitely.

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X.Blaser--NZN