Israel Orders Reduced Lebanon Strikes, Media Says
An Israeli public broadcaster cited an unnamed security source confirming the order, framing the tactical pullback as a deliberate gesture ahead of the diplomatic opening.
The source said the army received instructions to reduce attacks in the coming days, focusing on reducing strikes in Lebanon, before the start of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.
The de-escalation move, the source indicated, was designed to "build confidence" before the talks — though Tel Aviv has firmly maintained it has no intention of relinquishing the buffer zone it carved out inside Lebanese territory. The Israeli army has not officially confirmed the reported instructions.
Meanwhile, Israel's Channel 12 painted a more volatile picture, citing unnamed Israeli political figures who warned that assessments in Tel Aviv suggest Hezbollah is likely to intensify its attacks over the next two days — precisely as both sides prepare to sit across from each other for the first time.
The Lebanese presidency confirmed late Friday that Beirut and Jerusalem had agreed to convene April 14 at the State Department in Washington, D.C., with the dual objective of securing a ceasefire and launching a formal direct dialogue.
The Israel-Lebanon talks are unfolding against an already volatile regional backdrop. Iran and the US are simultaneously engaged in rare negotiations in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, seeking to draw a line under a war that erupted February 28 following US and Israeli strikes on Iranian soil.
Saturday's Islamabad session follows US President Donald Trump's announcement earlier this week of a two-week ceasefire with Iran, after Trump described a 10-point proposal submitted by Tehran as "workable" — signaling what could prove to be the most consequential diplomatic window the region has seen in decades.
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