Overview
- The U.S. Embassy in Beirut, in a post Thursday, urged a face‑to‑face meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under President Trump’s facilitation with American guarantees on borders, sovereignty, and reconstruction.
- U.S. ambassador Michel Issa met Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday to reiterate Washington’s support, as Lebanese leaders called for shoring up the fragile truce.
- Saudi efforts to line up a united Lebanese position stalled this week after a public rift between Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri, who aligns with Hezbollah, and Berri opposes direct talks and favors a non‑aggression pact as Riyadh counsels no Netanyahu meeting yet.
- Israeli strikes continued Friday in southern Lebanon, killing at least 12 to 13 people in towns including Habboush after evacuation warnings, and the military cites a truce clause that lets it act against planned or imminent attacks.
- Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports more than 2,600 killed and over 8,000 wounded since March 2, and aid groups warn of a looming catastrophe with more than one million displaced, repeated hits on healthcare, and shelters and food supplies stretched thin.