Updated

The next round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations, mediated by the US, has been pushed back to October, though Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors are still expected to meet at the State Department in the interim. Separately, a Lebanese official told the Times of Israel in a rare direct comment that Hezbollah's disarmament dispute remains the core obstacle to progress. A new report detailed how Israeli military raids, abductions and continued occupation of parts of southern Lebanon are deepening insecurity for border communities, with residents describing Israeli troops detaining and using civilians as bargaining chips during operations near villages such as Halta. The account underscores how conditions on the ground continue to complicate the stalled diplomatic track between the two countries.