Israel-Lebanon negotiations face major obstacles.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said his country is ready to sign a peace agreement with Israel if its demands are met, while emphasizing that Lebanon is focused on ending hostilities and resolving the conflict.

"A copy of Gaza"

Despite the US-brokered ceasefire, which took effect on April 17, the situation on the ground presented a completely different picture. In a May 10 announcement, the Lebanese Ministry of Health stated that Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours had killed 51 people, including two medical personnel. Estimates of the total number of fatalities and injuries from Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2nd have risen to 2,846 and 8,693 respectively.

A refugee elderly woman's room at a school being used as a shelter for displaced people in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. PHOTO: Gulf News

The Hezbollah armed group has been continuously deploying drones and missiles targeting Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) positions. In response, the Times of Israel reported that the IDF has expanded its airstrikes to weapons depots, command centers, and strategic transportation infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

International organizations have begun calling southern Lebanon a “replica of Gaza” as they witness the horrific level of destruction to civilian infrastructure. More than 1.2 million people have been displaced, creating the worst humanitarian crisis in the country in decades.

Difficult conditions to overcome

The fighting is taking place as Lebanon and Israel prepare to hold their third round of talks on May 14 and 15 in Washington, D.C. This round of talks follows the U.S. failure to hold a trilateral summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The discussions are expected to focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah, border issues, and Lebanon's demand for Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

However, according to i24NEWS, Israel stated that there are currently no discussions about troop withdrawal. Israel maintains that troop withdrawal will not be discussed until Hezbollah is disarmed. According to observers, negotiations are unlikely to succeed, as Israel has declared its core objective to be the complete disarmament of Hezbollah – a condition the armed group will certainly never accept.

In an interview with Al-Arabiya, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that his country did not choose war but was drawn into the confrontation between Iran and the United States, noting that Israel controls nearly 90 villages in the country.

According to military observers, Israel is determined to establish a security buffer zone 8 to 10 kilometers deep inside Lebanese territory to protect its people in the north. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has announced the resumption of attacks aimed at forcing Israel to withdraw from the occupied areas.

HANH CHI

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dam-phan-israel-lebanon-gap-rao-can-lon-post852181.html