April 9, 2026 — Netanyahu Seeks Direct Lebanon Negotiations as Israel Continues Hezbollah Strikes.
Lebanon Escalation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel would seek direct negotiations with Lebanon over disarming Hezbollah, even as Israeli forces carried out the largest coordinated strike on Lebanon since the war began. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported 303 killed and 1,150 wounded on April 8 alone. The strikes drew sharp condemnation from Iran, which called them a 'grave violation' of the ceasefire, and from mediator Pakistan, which insisted Lebanon was included in the agreement — a position disputed by both the U.S. and Israel.