Israel conducts violent airstrikes on Lebanon after first direct talks in decades

Israel has carried out a new round of violent aerial assaults on southern Lebanon, a day after the two sides held their first direct talks in decades.

Lebanese media reported on Thursday that Israeli warplanes targeted civilian and residential buildings in the towns of Mjadel and Mahrouna, both located in South Governorate, as well as the towns of Baraachit and Jbaa in Nabatieh Governorate.

No casualties have been reported from the Israeli strikes, which destroyed houses in densely populated areas and displaced a large number of Lebanese people.

Shortly before the attacks, the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for residents of the four towns on social media. 

The Israeli military claimed in a statement that it had “struck several weapon storage facilities” belonging to the Hezbollah resistance movement.

Israel's war minister threatens full-scale attack on Lebanon, demands Hezbollah disarmament

 Israeli minister of military affairs has threatened that Tel Aviv will launch a new war against Lebanon.

The attacks are the latest violations of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, which took effect in November 2024 following a conflict sparked by the Tel Aviv regime’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

Israel was forced to accept the truce with Hezbollah after suffering heavy losses on the battlefield and failing to achieve its goals despite killing over 4,000 people in Lebanon.

On Wednesday, Lebanese and Israeli representatives held their first direct talks in decades. The meeting, which took place in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura, was part of the US-led ceasefire monitoring committee.

Lebanon appointed former ambassador to Washington, Simon Karam, as its civilian representative. Karam reportedly met with Israeli security official Uri Resnick during the session.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that the meeting “paved the way for upcoming sessions” that will begin on December 19.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Beirut was "far" from diplomatic normalization or economic ties with Tel Aviv and that the talks were focused on "defusing tension".

Lebanon's priorities are the cessation of hostilities, the release of Lebanese detainees held by Israel, and Israel's full withdrawal from its territory, he added.

Salam also emphasized that Lebanon is still committed to the 2002 so-called Arab Peace Initiative that conditions the normalization of relations with the occupying regime on the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. 

Meanwhile, Lebanese news channel NBN reported on Thursday that the talks were held indirectly. “Lebanon is not considering normalization nor signing a peace agreement,” added the report.

Lebanon-Israel talks only serve Tel Aviv’s goals, Hezbollah warns

The Hezbollah resistance movement rejects possible negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, warning that such dialogue only serves political and strategic objectives of the occupying regime and its supporters.

Last month, Hezbollah rejected any direct negotiations with Israel amid heavy US pressure on Lebanon to enter into such dialogue.

The “negotiation traps” will “only grant further gains to the Israeli enemy,” Hezbollah said in an open letter sent to the Lebanese government.

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