Lebanon Seeks Ceasefire as Renewed Israel-Hezbollah Fighting Displaces Hundreds of Thousands

Lebanon’s government has put forward a formal ceasefire proposal aimed at halting the renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, as fighting in southern Lebanon has displaced more than 700,000 people, including 200,000 children.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun unveiled a four-point peace framework this week calling for a complete halt to hostilities, logistical support for the Lebanese Army to disarm Hezbollah, and direct negotiations under international auspices to secure a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory. The proposal marked a notable shift, as direct talks with Israel have historically been considered off-limits for Lebanese officials.

In unusually pointed language, Aoun criticized Hezbollah directly, describing the group’s attack on Israel as a trap that exposed Lebanon and its people to devastating consequences. He accused Hezbollah and its backers in Tehran of pursuing Iranian strategic interests at Lebanon’s expense, saying the campaign had destroyed dozens of Lebanese villages and cost tens of thousands of Lebanese lives.

“Some of them are on the roads,” Aoun said of the displaced, adding that many lack shelter and basic necessities.

Israel has remained skeptical of the overtures. Officials in Jerusalem pointed to Lebanon’s failure to enforce the 2024 ceasefire agreement — under which Hezbollah was to have been disarmed — as evidence that Beirut lacks either the will or the capacity to neutralize the militant group. When Lebanon sought assistance from the United States and European nations to pressure Israel to engage, and Cyprus offered to host talks, Israel again declined.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said this week that negotiations with the Lebanese government could not, by themselves, stop rockets from being fired into Israeli territory.

According to reporting by the Financial Times, Israel has not entirely closed the door on talks but has insisted that any negotiations proceed while Israeli military operations continue. Some Israeli officials indicated the campaign against Hezbollah could persist even after the broader conflict with Iran concludes.

Israeli airstrikes struck central Beirut on Thursday in what observers described as a significant escalation. Hezbollah responded with a large rocket barrage targeting Israel on Wednesday night.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Aoun has begun assembling a negotiating delegation and has privately expressed willingness to move toward normalized relations with Israel, with a source close to his office saying all options remain under consideration.