Lebanon and Israel to meet in Washington as US-Iran talks stall over Hormuz

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has stated that his government will not agree to a deal with Israel without a full withdrawal of Israeli forces. Salam made the comments ahead of a second round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Washington. Israel has forcibly displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians living south of the Litani River and declared a buffer zone in Lebanese territory. Salam said Lebanon cannot accept a so-called buffer zone where displaced people are not allowed to return and destroyed villages cannot be rebuilt. The US has been pressuring Israel, and Lebanon is relying on the US to extend a 10-day ceasefire with Hezbollah, which is set to expire. More than 2,400 people have been killed since March.