Lebanese president discusses Israel ceasefire with US, Qatari officials

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke with US Vice President JD Vance, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Monday about consolidating a ceasefire in Lebanon and forming a "de-confliction cell" to halt Israeli military escalation, his office said.

What is the Lebanon de-confliction cell and why does it matter?

A de-confliction cell is a coordinated mechanism designed to prevent military miscalculations between opposing forces.

Pakistan and Qatar, mediating US-Iran talks in Switzerland, announced Monday that Washington and Tehran had agreed to establish such a cell with Lebanon to ensure compliance with a halt to military operations there.

What did Aoun discuss with Vance and Qatar's prime minister?

The Lebanese presidency said the three-way call covered consolidating the ceasefire, stopping Israeli military escalation and the steps needed to achieve both goals. Forming the de-confliction cell was among the specific measures discussed. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Lebanon the "1st real test" of the Swiss negotiations, posting that assessment directly on X after the talks concluded.

The discussions follow Washington and Tehran signing a memorandum of understanding last week to end the broader Middle East war, which includes an immediate and permanent halt to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which drew Lebanon into the conflict on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel in support of Iran, has repeatedly threatened to unravel regional peace efforts.

Why is the Lebanon ceasefire still fragile?

Israeli strikes and clashes with Hezbollah late last week nearly derailed the broader deal before fighting paused Saturday evening. Iran said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israeli attacks, adding pressure on all parties. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon "as long as necessary."

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem rejected any Israeli "security zone" inside Lebanon, while Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces had standing orders to act against any threat encountered there. Israel also lifted all war-related restrictions in its northern border areas from Monday morning.

What comes next for Lebanon-Israel negotiations?

A fifth round of direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington is set to begin Tuesday. Lebanese authorities are seeking the full withdrawal of Israeli troops and have sought to separate those negotiations from the US-Iran deal, which aims to determine the future of relations between the two countries after decades of hostilities.