Israel's Airstrikes on Lebanon Cast Shadow Over Cease-fire Negotiations

[Anchor]

Just as there was hope for peace in the Middle East, the sound of gunfire continues. Israel has not ceased its airstrikes on Lebanon. Although President Trump personally intervened to broker a truce, Israel resumed its bombardment just hours later. Subsequent negotiations between the U.S. and Iran now face inevitable difficulties.

Our first report is from Gwak Sang-eun.

[Reporter]

Even after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war on the 17th, clashes between Israel and the pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon did not stop.

As the conflict intensified, leaving at least 47 dead and nearly 100 injured, and with Iran refusing further negotiations by citing the MOU—which explicitly called for a ceasefire in Lebanon—U.S. President Donald Trump personally pressured Israel to reach a renewed ceasefire agreement at 4:00 p.m. local time on the 19th.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President (Interview with The Axios Show) : I have a good relationship with Netanyahu. But we have to keep them a little bit 'sane'.]

[Donald Trump / U.S. President (Interview with The Axios Show) : (Can you control Israel's attacks on Lebanon?) Yes, I will. (How?) They respect me a lot.]

However, rendering President Trump's public assurances meaningless, Israel has once again thrown cold water on the peace discussions.

In the early hours of the 20th, Israel deployed fighter jets and drones to strike over 10 locations in southern Lebanon, resulting in 5 deaths.

The subsequent negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which were being pushed forward by Trump's Middle East envoy Witkoff and son-in-law Kushner in Switzerland, have also hit a roadblock.

The two countries were scheduled to hold their first working-level talks in Switzerland on the 19th to discuss nuclear issues and the lifting of sanctions, but the talks were ultimately canceled due to the situation in Lebanon, and no follow-up schedule has been set.

U.S. intelligence authorities believe that Israel will continue to be an obstacle to ceasefire negotiations.

Citing an intelligence report, The Washington Post stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a general election this fall, is under pressure from hardline public opinion at home to continue military operations in Lebanon, and that he will not abandon these operations in order to ensure his political survival.

(Video by Chae Chul-ho)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.