4th round of Lebanon-Israel talks conclude amid Israeli escalation

The fourth round of US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel concluded Wednesday in Washington, DC, Lebanese sources told Anadolu.

The second and final day of the negotiations at the US State Department headquarters lasted more than six hours, said sources.

The US-sponsored talks follow weeks of near-daily Israeli strikes on Lebanon that have killed nearly 3,500 people since March 2, despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17 and was later extended until early July.

The conflict recently saw an escalation as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops to deepen the incursion and called for strikes on Beirut.

Netanyahu, however, was restrained after a tense phone exchange with US President Donald Trump, according to a report by the Axios news website.