Aoun Urges US to Halt Israeli Attacks After 74 Die in 3 Days
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 11
Aoun Urges US to Halt Israeli Attacks After 74 Die in 3 Days
10 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 11
74 people were killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon since Saturday, prompting President Joseph Aoun to ask Washington to pressure Israel to stop fire and home demolitions in the south.
Aoun raised the demand in Beirut with U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa as Israeli operations continued despite the April 16 ceasefire, with one strike in Saksakiyeh alone killing at least seven people.
Washington will host a third round of Lebanon-Israel talks on May 14-15, following two rounds last month that marked the highest-level contacts between the countries in decades.
The diplomacy is politically fraught in Lebanon: Hezbollah wants the talks canceled, while critics say the group dragged the country into war by opening fire on March 2.
Since then, Lebanon says 2,869 people have been killed and 1.2 million displaced, while Israel says 17 soldiers and two civilians have died.
Can US-brokered talks succeed when Hezbollah, a key player, demands their cancellation and holds immense power?
Is the ambitious plan to dismantle Hezbollah a viable path to peace or a trigger for Lebanon's collapse?
Lebanon 2026: Ceasefire Breakdown, 2,600+ Dead, and a Worsening Humanitarian Emergency
Overview
In May 2026, Lebanon faced a sharp escalation in violence after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16 quickly unraveled. Despite hopes for peace, both Lebanon and Israel continued to exchange fire, with Israel issuing evacuation orders for southern towns and launching airstrikes on Beirut’s suburbs. These attacks exposed deep flaws in the ceasefire, leading analysts to doubt its effectiveness. The ongoing conflict has caused widespread destruction and a growing humanitarian crisis, as diplomatic efforts struggle to keep pace with the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground.