Diplomacy meets escalation: Israel maintains pressure on Lebanon amid Iran war

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Despite talk of diplomatic attempts to open negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the situation in Tel Aviv appears to be moving toward greater rigidity.

While the United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, is holding talks in Israel, she said in a statement that there is an urgent need to recommit to the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which remains the focus of her discussions.

At the same time, the Israeli Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, warned that airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs would continue. 

Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said in an interview with the Army Radio that he had sent a message to Secretary-General António Guterres affirming the possibility of opening a diplomatic track under clear conditions.

Talk of negotiations comes as Israel continues to face attacks from both Iran and Hezbollah, targeting areas from the country's north to the south. The strikes reportedly killed two people and wounded dozens in Tel Aviv after a cluster missile fell in the city.

At the same time, protests have grown among residents of northern Israel who have been sheltering in bunkers for extended periods.

Reports also suggest that the war with Iran could last around six weeks. 

In preparation, the Israeli army has called up additional forces to the Lebanese border after what it describes as the "third line of villages" from the frontier came under its control, in a move to create a security buffer zone about seven kilometers deep.

Amid these military developments and the talks held by Hennis-Plasschaert in Tel Aviv, which she is expected to later convey to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Tuesday, accompanied by Jared Kushner, to discuss the war known as "Roaring Lion," spanning from Iran to Lebanon and other fronts.