A military delegation from Lebanon is heading to Washington on Tuesday for a security meeting with Israeli officials at the Pentagon scheduled for Friday, as intensified Israeli strikes on the country continue to kill dozens of people. President Joseph Aoun reportedly briefed the delegation before their departure, outlining key principles to be presented at the negotiating table.
The security meeting comes amid renewed Israeli airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as heightened Israeli threats to expand attacks against Lebanon all the way to Beirut.
On Monday, 11 people including two children, were killed in Israeli strikes on the village of Mashghara in eastern Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “press the pedal even harder” against Hezbollah.
At the same time, Hezbollah has increased military operations against Israeli troops and military positions. Its Secretary-General, Naim Qassem , has also intensified his criticism of the Lebanese government, threatening to bring it down through street protests and confront what he called “the American-Israeli project”.
The security meeting between Lebanese and Israeli official comes after new US sanctions were imposed last Thursday on Lebanese political and military figures affiliated with Hezbollah and the Amal Movement. For the first time, the sanctions targeted active-duty Lebanese military and security officers, in what was viewed as American pressure directed at Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Amal Movement, to get him to join direct negotiations with Israel.
They are also reportedly meant to pressure the Lebanese army, which has so far rejected a US proposal to create a special unit to confront or disarm Hezbollah.
Lebanon has formed a delegation representing all the country’s sects – including Shia Muslims – for the Washington talks.
However neither Hezbollah nor the Amal Movement, the country’s two main Shia political movements, have nominated any delegates, and they continue to reject direct negotiations with Israel.
Lebanese government and military sources told The New Arab that “the names were chosen based on expertise, and despite the delegation’s diverse composition, it remains committed to national principles that it will uphold at the Pentagon.”
The sources added that the delegation would be headed by Brigadier General Georges Rizkallah, Director of Operations in the Lebanese Army, and includes senior military officers of various sects as well as the military attaché at the Lebanese Embassy in Washington, Brigadier General Oliver Hakmeh. They met on Monday with President Joseph Aoun to receive their instructions.
Regarding Israel’s deadly attacks in southern and eastern Lebanon and threats to attack Beirut, a Lebanese official told The New Arab, “Lebanon is intensifying its external contacts, especially with the Americans, in order to de-escalate. Its goal is not only to keep Beirut away from fire, but to achieve a complete and comprehensive ceasefire, and this is what it will continue to demand in the Washington meetings.”
The source stressed that “Lebanon will remain committed to the diplomatic option, as there is no other path, despite our awareness of the difficulty and sensitivity of the situation. Wars and military options have shown us where they have brought Lebanon.”
A Lebanese army source told The New Arab that “the main directives given to the delegation participating in the Pentagon meeting are prioritizing a complete and final ceasefire, and the necessity of Israel withdrawing from occupied territories so that army personnel can deploy in the south and carry out their duties, in addition to maintaining national unity and civil peace.”
The source stressed that the delegation will present the consequences of Israel’s strikes on the country, such as the deaths of civilians, medical workers, journalists and military personnel.
At least 3,185 people have been killed in Lebanon since the US-Israeli war on Iran spilled over into the country on March 2. Continued dispute over Hezbollah arms The Lebanese army source said that the delegation will also present a plan for all weapons in the country to be brought under the authority of the state.
However, they also said that the Lebanese army “categorically rejects” the establishment of any military division focused on disarming Hezbollah, as well as any security cooperation with Israel.
They said that all coordination should go through the Committee for Monitoring the Cessation of Hostilities established in November 2024.
A Hezbollah source from the Lebanese Parliament told The New Arab that “Israeli threats will not force us to retreat, and our position will remain defensive. Any military escalation will be met with an appropriate response.”
They also said that the Lebanese government should not enter into any direct negotiations with Israel, saying “American statements are merely pretexts and justifications to give Israel freedom of movement and freedom to target Lebanon whenever it wants.”
The source instead called for indirect talks and adherence to “core principles” including a ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, while treating the issue of Hezbollah’s arms as a “domestic matter”.