War in the Middle East: Israel and Lebanon to participate in ceasefire meeting in Washington on Tuesday.

Could a ceasefire be nearing in Lebanon? The Lebanese presidency announced on the evening of Friday, April 10 that a meeting would take place on Tuesday with Israel in Washington to discuss a ceasefire in the war between the Israeli army and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah since early March. Following a discussion between the ambassadors of the two countries in the United States, “it was agreed to hold an initial meeting on Tuesday at the State Department to discuss the establishment of a truce and the start date of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under the auspices of the United States,” according to the statement released on X.

Shortly after, Israel stated that it would not discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah Islamist movement during these talks. During a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart to organize these discussions, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter “refused to discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” he declared in a statement.

After the ceasefire between the US and Iran took effect on Wednesday, Israel claimed that Lebanon was not included in that agreement and intensified its attacks in Lebanon against the allied Tehran movement. On Wednesday, massive Israeli strikes killed 357 people and injured 1,223, according to a new provisional toll from the Ministry of Health.