Lebanon’s Aoun discusses ceasefire, Israeli escalation with US, Qatari officials

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed efforts to reinforce a ceasefire with Israel and halt Israeli escalation in Lebanon with top US and Qatari officials on Monday, the presidency said. Aoun received a phone call from US Vice President JD Vance, senior adviser Jared Kushner, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The talks focused on steps needed to stabilize the ceasefire and stop Israeli escalation against Lebanon, and addressed the “possibility of forming a cell” to support those efforts.

Progress in negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said early Monday that negotiations with the US in Switzerland, facilitated by Pakistan and Qatar, had produced “significant progress” toward ending the war in Lebanon and easing pressure on Iran's economy. Israel’s Channel 12 quoted an unnamed official confirming that a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah had begun. A senior US official also confirmed the ceasefire to Anadolu, though Hezbollah has not yet commented. The ceasefire follows months of Israeli military operations in Lebanon that have killed more than 4,000 people, injured over 12,000, and displaced more than one million residents since March 2.