Israel Sets Two- to Three-Week Limit on Lebanon Talks, Will Ask Trump to Approve Escalation if They Fail

Overview

• Israel has told the United States it wants negotiations with Lebanon capped at two to three weeks and will ask President Donald Trump to authorize wider military action if no deal emerges.
• Channel 12 reports that Jerusalem views ongoing Hezbollah attacks as undercutting talks and weakening deterrence, citing explosive drones and fire toward Israeli forces and northern communities.
• The Israel Defense Forces are operating in a constrained response mode, with new offensives largely paused and any operation north of the Litani River requiring case-by-case political approval.
• U.S. officials are working to set a direct meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun within the set window, according to KAN, though the prospects remain uncertain.
• Official Lebanese figures say Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed at least 2,534 people, wounded 7,863, and displaced more than 1.6 million, underscoring the human stakes of the talks.