Israel and Hezbollah Trade Fresh Attacks as US-Brokered Talks Resume in Washington

Kuala Lumpur — Israel and Hezbollah continued exchanging fire on Tuesday even as senior Israeli and Lebanese officials resumed US-mediated negotiations in Washington aimed at expanding a fragile ceasefire and ending months of deadly conflict along the border.

According to the Israeli military, Hezbollah launched rockets and a drone toward northern Israel and IDF positions near the border overnight. Israel responded with airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, killing at least several fighters, according to Lebanese health authorities and local reports.

The clashes came just hours after US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that both sides had agreed to halt major hostilities following his direct intervention. Trump said Israel would not strike Beirut’s southern suburbs — a key Hezbollah stronghold — and that Hezbollah had pledged to stop attacking Israel.

Fragile De-escalation Under Pressure

Lebanon’s government, through its embassy in Washington, confirmed that Hezbollah had accepted a US-proposed “mutual cessation of attacks.” The arrangement initially covers Beirut and its suburbs in exchange for an end to Israeli strikes there, with hopes of later expanding it across all of Lebanon.

However, both sides have continued limited operations. Israel maintains it retains the right to strike “imminent threats” from Hezbollah, while the group has rejected aspects of the deal and continued low-level attacks.

Israeli and Lebanese delegations are now in Washington for what is reportedly the fourth round of US-hosted talks since April. The discussions focus on:

• Enforcing and extending the ceasefire
• Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon
• Curbing Hezbollah’s military presence south of the Litani River
• Long-term border security arrangements

High Stakes for Regional Diplomacy

The renewed fighting risks derailing not only the Lebanon ceasefire but also Washington’s parallel diplomatic push with Iran. Tehran had earlier suspended talks with the US, citing Israel’s intensified operations in Lebanon as a major obstacle.

US officials have described the latest round of Israel-Lebanon talks as “positive,” but significant gaps remain. Hezbollah has historically opposed direct negotiations with Israel, while Israel insists any lasting deal must include the disarmament or severe weakening of the Iran-backed group in southern Lebanon.

More than 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon since the escalation began in March, according to Lebanese authorities, with over a million displaced. Israel has reported dozens of deaths and widespread damage in its northern communities from Hezbollah rocket fire.

Despite the ongoing violations, both sides have signaled willingness to continue the Washington talks, with the next round expected in the coming days.

The situation remains highly fluid as diplomats race to lock in a more durable truce before the violence spirals further and collapses the broader US-Iran diplomatic track.