12 Avril 2026

Last updated: 12 Avril 2026

AA / Jerusalem / Said Amori

Israeli media reported on Saturday that the army had received instructions to “reduce strikes” in Lebanon ahead of direct talks between Tel Aviv and Beirut scheduled for Tuesday in Washington, as Israeli airstrikes continue intensively in Lebanese territory.

The Israeli public television channel KAN cited an anonymous security source stating that the army had been instructed to decrease its attacks in the coming days, particularly by reducing strikes in Lebanon, before the start of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.

According to the source, this move aims to “establish a climate of trust” before the discussions, despite Israel’s insistence on not withdrawing from the buffer zone it has taken inside Lebanese territory.

At this point, the Israeli army has not confirmed the claims of this source. These statements come as intensive Israeli airstrikes continue in Lebanon, causing the death of 97 people and 133 injuries on Saturday.

Furthermore, the Israeli channel Channel 12 quoted anonymous Israeli political sources stating that assessments in Tel Aviv indicate Hezbollah could escalate attacks over the next two days, leading up to the start of negotiations.

The Lebanese presidency announced late Friday that Lebanon and Israel had agreed to hold their first meeting on April 14 at the State Department in Washington, with the aim of securing a ceasefire and initiating direct discussions.

These anticipated talks come as Iran and the United States engage in rare negotiations in the Pakistani capital to end the war triggered on February 28 by American and Israeli strikes against Iran.

The Saturday meeting in Islamabad comes after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, stating that Tehran had presented a “viable” ten-point negotiation proposal.

* Translated from English by Adama Bamba