{"id":484,"date":"2026-05-14T09:14:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T09:14:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=484"},"modified":"2026-05-16T01:51:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T01:51:33","slug":"lebanon-and-israel-to-hold-new-talks-in-washington-as-ceasefire-nears-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=484","title":{"rendered":"Lebanon and Israel to hold new talks in Washington as ceasefire nears end"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Israel, Lebanon hold &#8216;positive&#8217; Washington talks as US seeks ceasefire extension<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        The United States on Thursday pushed to extend a fragile Israel-Lebanon ceasefire ahead of its Sunday expiry, as President Donald Trump voiced optimism over China\u2019s efforts on Iran. Violence flared as Israeli and Lebanese officials met in Washington, while Israeli strikes in Lebanon continued despite the truce remaining formally in place.                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-05-14T03:35:14+00:00\">14\/05\/2026 &#8211; 05:35<\/time><\/span><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Modified: <time datetime=\"2026-05-15T05:23:34+00:00\">15\/05\/2026 &#8211; 07:23<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    4 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/france-24\/\" title=\"FRANCE 24\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                FRANCE 24<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/c55e022c-4ef3-11f1-93d2-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/5606c93d96519ce3908f478eb89c3768cec06deb.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Deir El Zahrani\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Deir El Zahrani.<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 Kawnat Haju, AFP<\/span>            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>The United States on Thursday sought to extend a shaky <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/ceasefire\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">ceasefire<\/a> between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Israel<\/a> and\u00a0Lebanon\u00a0as President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Donald Trump<\/a> voiced optimism at China&#8217;s efforts on Iran.<\/p>\n<p>A ceasefire between\u00a0Lebanon\u00a0and Israel\u00a0\u2013 considered to still be in place despite hundreds of deaths in Israeli strikes\u00a0\u2013 ends on Sunday and violence again flared as the two governments met in Washington.<\/p>\n<p>Israel has pounded\u00a0Lebanon\u00a0and invaded its south in response to retaliatory fire from Shia movement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/hezbollah\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Hezbollah<\/a> following Israel&#8217;s killing of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Iran<\/a>&#8216;s supreme leader at the start of the war on February 28.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors held the first of two days of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/talks\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">talks<\/a> at the State Department, with Israel bringing along military officers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We had a full day of productive and positive talks,&#8221; a senior State Department official said, expecting more to say on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>A Lebanese official told AFP that the country would seek &#8220;the consolidation of the ceasefire&#8221; and said: &#8220;The first thing is to put an end to the death and destruction.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The two sides last met on April 23 at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/white-house\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">White House<\/a>, where Trump announced a three-week ceasefire extension between the countries, which have technically been at war for decades.<\/p>\n<p>Trump at the time made the bold prediction that during the three-week extension he would welcome Israeli Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> and Lebanese President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/joseph-aoun\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Joseph Aoun<\/a> to Washington for a historic first summit between the countries.<\/p>\n<p>The summit has not happened, with Aoun saying a security deal and an end to Israeli attacks were needed before such a landmark meeting.<\/p>\n<p>Israel has vowed to keep pursuing attacks against Hezbollah. The Israeli <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/military\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">military<\/a> said Thursday it struck more than 65 more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/hezbollah\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Hezbollah<\/a> sites across\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/lebanon\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Lebanon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Lebanon&#8217;s state-run National News Agency reported Israeli airstrikes on the south and east on Thursday, including on areas not mentioned in an earlier Israeli evacuation warning.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli troops in northern Israel with a drone. The Israeli military said several Israeli civilians were injured and evacuated for medical treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar denounced the talks in Washington, calling them &#8220;free concessions&#8221; to Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed more than 2,800 people in\u00a0Lebanon, including at least 200 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/children\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">children<\/a>, according to Lebanese authorities, a toll Hezbollah says includes its fighters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"em-video-wrapper m-em-video\" data-media-video-wbmz547681-f24-en-20260515 data-wrapper-video-player data-show-hidden-video-player=\"WBMZ547681-F24-EN-20260515\" data-youtube-script>\n<div class=\"m-em-video__video\">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent \">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-consent__content__text\">To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.<\/p>\n<p>        <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"accept\"><br \/>\n            Accept<\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><br \/>\n        <button class=\"a-link\" data-action=\"manage\">Manage my choices<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock\" data-adblock-content>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-adblock__content__text\">One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.<\/p>\n<p>            <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"reload\">Try again<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hidden-video-player=\"WBMZ547681-F24-EN-20260515\">\n<div class=\"m-em-video\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/2e1fbc34-4f98-11f1-ab14-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/EN-20260514-151737-152004-CS.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                                <span>\u00a9 France 24<\/span>            <\/figcaption><div class=\"m-item-image__overlay-wrapper\">\n                <button class=\"m-main-media-btn\" aria-label=\"Play the video\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"m-main-media-btn__picto\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-circle-loader\">\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><br \/>\n<time class=\"a-media-time\">02:27<\/time>                <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Trump courts Xi\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/middle-east\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Middle East<\/a> war has roiled the global <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/economy\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">economy<\/a> and impacted hundreds of millions of people worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Iran, the patron of Hezbollah, has made a lasting ceasefire in\u00a0Lebanon\u00a0a condition for any agreement to end the wider war, further frustrating Trump by refusing his appeals for an accord on his terms.<\/p>\n<p>Iran responded to the war by imposing control over the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/strait-of-hormuz\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, the narrow passageway through which one-fifth of the world&#8217;s oil once transited, and it has been loath to give up its leverage.<\/p>\n<p>Trump discussed the issue on a state visit to China, which is the main international buyer of Iran&#8217;s oil, which the United States has sought to ban worldwide through unilateral <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/sanctions\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">sanctions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump, in an interview in Beijing, said that President Xi Jinping promised &#8220;strongly&#8221; to him that &#8220;he&#8217;s not going to give military equipment&#8221; to Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;d like to see the Hormuz Strait open, and said &#8216;if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,'&#8221; Trump told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/fox-news\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Fox News<\/a> host Sean Hannity.<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu has said that China has provided missile technology to Iran.<\/p>\n<p>In a sign of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/china\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">China<\/a>&#8216;s clout with Tehran, the elite Revolutionary Guards said that its naval forces had allowed a number of Chinese ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since late Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was ultimately concluded that a number of Chinese ships requested by this country would pass through this area after an agreement on Iran&#8217;s strait management protocols,&#8221; the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran&#8217;s military, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<div class=\"m-em-image\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--original m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/5b4d9390-4fc3-11f1-b1fe-005056a97e36\/w:980\/ee411756bfc614bdbff54ae49328b9f29f87700a.jpg\" alt=\"Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on May 14, 2026, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on May 14, 2026, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 Brendan SMIALOWSKI, AFP<\/span>            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>Narrow US vote on war<\/h2>\n<p>The Iran war has been deeply unpopular in the United States, even among elements of Trump&#8217;s Republican Party base, with the administration scrambling to find ways to tame soaring fuel costs months before congressional elections.<\/p>\n<p>The US Senate on Thursday narrowly rejected, in a 50-49 vote, a resolution that would curb Trump&#8217;s power to wage war on Iran.<\/p>\n<p>The rival <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/democratic-party\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Democratic Party<\/a> says that, under the War Powers Act passed after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/vietnam\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Vietnam<\/a> War, the administration had until May 1 to secure congressional approval for military action and that Trump is now in clear violation of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/law\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">law<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The administration disputes that interpretation, arguing that the clock was paused by a ceasefire announced more than a month ago.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Jeff Merkley, the Democrat who led the effort, said of Republicans: &#8220;I think many of our colleagues are uncomfortable with where they stand, but they&#8217;re also uncomfortable with being on the wrong side of Trump.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/lebanon\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Lebanon\">    Lebanon<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Israel\">    Israel<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/hezbollah\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Hezbollah\">    Hezbollah<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/iran-conflict\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Iran war\">    Iran war<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/usa\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"USA\">    USA<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Israel, Lebanon hold &#8216;positive&#8217; Washington talks as US seeks ceasefire extension Middle East The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=484"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":552,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions\/552"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}