Israel has set a two-week deadline for reaching an agreement with Lebanon during their US-mediated negotiations, warning of renewed military escalation if talks fail, according to Israeli media on Wednesday.
The public broadcaster KAN said Tel Aviv has established a “limited timeframe” for the talks, not exceeding two weeks, in a bid to secure what it described as a “real agreement” between the two sides.
The outlet said Israel has linked the current ceasefire arrangement — extended until mid-May — to reaching a substantive deal with Lebanon within that period.
“We cannot wait indefinitely… we will give negotiations only an additional two weeks,” KAN reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official.
According to the broadcaster, Israeli assessments indicate that failure to achieve tangible progress within this timeframe could lead to a resumption of fighting and the launch of intensified military raids in southern Lebanon.
KAN said the US administration is leading efforts to arrange a direct meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun within the next two weeks, despite significant doubts among the parties about the possibility of holding such a high-level summit.
Trump first announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on April 17, before saying on Thursday it would be extended by three weeks.
According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed at least 2,534 people, wounded 7,863 others, and displaced more than 1.6 million people.
Israel occupied southern Lebanon for a long time under the pretext of fighting Hezbollah, but many say that this was part of Tel Aviv’s expansionist policies.
