INTERNACIONAL
Pentagon hosts first-ever Israeli–Lebanese military talks aimed at curbing Hezbollah
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Israeli and Lebanese military delegations opened Pentagon-mediated talks Friday morning in Washington, launching a new U.S.-brokered security coordination track aimed at preventing renewed escalation along the Israel–Lebanon border and shoring up a fragile ceasefire reached in mid-April.
A State Department official told Fox News Digital that, «As we have continuously stated, the only path to lasting peace is through direct negotiations between the two sovereign governments.»
The discussions mark a shift from diplomatic negotiations into direct military coordination, with talks expected to focus on ceasefire enforcement, border stability, Israeli withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon and the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces in containing Hezbollah.
ISRAEL MOVES TOWARDS CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH HEZBOLLAH: REPORTS
Michael Needham, counselor for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)
The talks come weeks after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire first reached during the broader regional conflict tied to the U.S.–Iran war. While large-scale fighting has eased, Israeli forces continue operating inside parts of southern Lebanon and Hezbollah maintains drone and rocket capabilities, keeping tensions high along the border.
The ceasefire was extended on May 15 for another 45 days, creating pressure on both sides to show progress before the current arrangement expires.
But analysts say the central question overshadowing the talks is whether Lebanon can realistically curb Hezbollah’s military power without risking internal collapse.
«This will be the first meeting between representatives of the militaries since the start of the negotiation process between Lebanon and Israel,» Ahmed Sharawi, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, told Fox News Digital.
Representing Lebanon in the talks is Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, who previously served as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon, an area where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence. Hezbollah is the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist organization designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.
«What we should expect is talks regarding de-confliction and what the expectations are for the LAF in terms of the broader disarmament plan against Hezbollah’s weapons,» he said.
Sharawi said the chances of a broader breakthrough remain limited so long as Hezbollah remains heavily armed and politically entrenched inside Lebanon.
«The biggest obstacle here is that the Lebanese state is yet to present a feasible plan to disarm Hezbollah,» he said.
LAWMAKERS QUESTION WHETHER US MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO CAPITALIZE ON HEZBOLLAH’S WEAKENED STATE
But analysts say the central question overshadowing the talks is whether Lebanon can realistically curb Hezbollah’s military power without risking internal collapse. (Ibrahim AMRO / AFP via Getty Images)
He pointed to the terms of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, which placed responsibility for disarming Hezbollah on the Lebanese state.
«We are yet to see the confiscation of one single bullet from Hezbollah,» Sharawi said.
He also warned that Hezbollah’s deep support among Lebanon’s Shiite population complicates any attempt to move toward normalization with Israel.
«There’s a fear of a civil war,» he said. «That also accounts for the Lebanese state’s unwillingness to disarm Hezbollah.»
The talks opened as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled Israel intends to maintain military pressure on Hezbollah despite the negotiations.
Sharawi argued the Trump administration nevertheless appears determined to push the process forward as part of a broader effort to weaken Iranian influence in the region.
«The reason behind these meetings is that President Trump is really trying to push for a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon,» he said. «Peace between these two countries could really undermine Hezbollah and its influence in Lebanon.»
WALTZ SAYS TRUMP HAS CREATED ‘BEST CHANCE IN OUR LIFETIME’ TO BREAK HEZBOLLAH’S GRIP ON LEBANON
Churches in the southern Lebanese town of Rmeish remained standing throughout the conflict, as residents say the community resisted Hezbollah attempts to launch rockets from the area. (Jusoor News)
Israeli analysts similarly described the talks less as a breakthrough and more as a strategic signal aimed at Hezbollah.
«The war between us and Hezbollah is continuing,» Yossi Kuperwasser, senior project manager at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and former head of the Research Division of Israeli Military Intelligence, told Fox News Digital.
«There is no doubt the Lebanese government does not have a monopoly on the use of force in Lebanon,» he said.
‘OVERBLOWN’ REPORTS ON ISRAEL–LEBANON NORMALIZATION RISK HINDERING BORDER TALKS BEFORE THEY BEGIN: OFFICIAL
IDF troops discovered a Hezbollah weapons cache near a UNIFIL post in southern Lebanon in 2024. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)
Kuperwasser said expectations for an immediate diplomatic breakthrough should remain low, but argued the talks themselves send an important political message.
«The purpose of these talks is first and foremost to send a message to Hezbollah and also to the Americans,» he said. «Both sides are prepared to sit together against Hezbollah and signal that they are moving, even if slowly, toward normalization between Israel and Lebanon.»
He argued Hezbollah has been weakened politically and militarily by the ongoing conflict and by growing frustration among Lebanese civilians displaced by the fighting.
«For years Hezbollah portrayed itself as the defender of Lebanon,» Kuperwasser said. «Now many Lebanese see Hezbollah as responsible for the suffering Lebanon is experiencing.»
Kuperwasser added that while Israel supports strengthening the Lebanese army, Beirut fears direct confrontation with Hezbollah could ignite another civil war.
«The Lebanese government fears military action against Hezbollah would lead to civil war,» he said. «That fear shapes everything.»
The talks also come amid mounting domestic pressure inside Israel, where critics of Netanyahu have accused the government of pursuing containment rather than decisive military victory against Hezbollah.
Speaking Friday during a visit to Israel’s northern front, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River and were operating across multiple parts of Lebanon.
«We are operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa Valley, across the entire front and striking Hezbollah hard,» Netanyahu said.
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A woman holds her dog as she walks past burned cars a day after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 9, 2026. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s leadership is attempting to balance growing American pressure with fears of internal instability and renewed sectarian conflict.
Neither the Israeli Embassy in Washington nor the Lebanese Embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment. The Pentagon did not have anything to add when asked to comment.
benjamin netanyahu, defense, lebanon, pentagon, israel
La Organización Meteorológica Mundial (OMM), cuya secretaria general es la científica argentina Celeste Saulo, advirtió que el fenómeno de El Niño ya está presente y se intensificará hacia un episodio fuerte entre julio y septiembre, con riesgo de olas de calor, sequías y lluvias intensas en todo el mundo.
Una nueva investigación publicada en la revista Science Advances llegó con una propuesta que abre un debate científico y ético sin precedentes: las simulaciones sugieren que aclarar artificialmente las nubes sobre el Pacífico sur podría debilitar ese mismo fenómeno antes de que cause sus peores estragos.
La técnica propuesta se llama aclaramiento de nubes marinas y consiste en inyectar aerosoles, partículas muy pequeñas, en la atmósfera baja para que las nubes reflejen más luz solar y enfríen el océano.
El estudio fue liderado por Jessica Wan, de la Institución Scripps de Oceanografía de la Universidad de California en San Diego, junto con John Fasullo, Nan Rosenbloom y Chih-Chieh Chen, del Centro Nacional de Investigación Atmosférica de Estados Unidos, y Katharine Ricke, de la Escuela de Política Global y Estrategia de la Universidad de California en San Diego.
El Niño-Oscilación del Sur (ENSO, por sus siglas en inglés) ocurre cuando los vientos alisios se debilitan y las aguas del Pacífico oriental se calientan por encima de lo normal.
Eso desata efectos a distancia llamados teleconexiones: alteraciones del clima que golpean regiones muy alejadas, desde sequías en Australia hasta inundaciones en América del Sur. Un solo episodio puede costar billones de dólares a la economía global.
El Centro Nacional de Predicción del Clima de los Estados Unidos alertó el jueves 9 de julio que “existe un 81% de probabilidad de que se presente un El Niño muy fuerte durante el período de octubre a diciembre de 2026″.
Podría ubicarse entre los eventos de El Niño más grandes en el registro histórico que data desde el año 1950.
Ningún estudio anterior había evaluado si la geoingeniería solar podía usarse para intervenir directamente sobre El Niño en escala estacional.
Los investigadores partieron de una pista concreta: los aerosoles de los incendios de Australia de 2019-2020 aclararon las nubes del Pacífico sur y contribuyeron a desencadenar una La Niña —el fenómeno opuesto, con enfriamiento de las aguas ecuatoriales— que duró varios años. Si el fuego lo hizo, la pregunta fue si podría hacerse a propósito.
Los investigadores simularon seis estrategias sobre los El Niños de 1997-1998 y 2015-2016, al variar cuándo empezaba y cuánto duraba la intervención.
La más intensa —de junio a febrero— redujo la temperatura del mar en 1,88 grados durante el El Niño de 2015-2016, “prácticamente restaurando condiciones neutras del ENSO al final del pico del evento”, según el equipo científico.
En las simulaciones, el aclaramiento de nubes marinas redujo el calor y las lluvias excesivas en la mayoría de las regiones que El Niño suele golpear.
La caída en el índice que mide los daños económicos sugirió “el potencial de grandes beneficios económicos globales”.
El debate científico surge porque la técnica funcionó mejor para combatir el calor y la lluvia que para revertir el frío y la sequía, así que sus beneficios no llegan a todos por igual.
Los riesgos climáticos son tan reales como los beneficios.
El estudio detectó un calentamiento sobre Europa y Asia en zonas que El Niño normalmente no toca, lo que significa que la técnica crearía un problema nuevo donde antes no había ninguno.
Las estrategias más largas también adelantaron y amplificaron La Niña posterior, con potencial de generar daños propios en otras regiones.
El debate ético es el más difícil. Si el aclaramiento de nubes marinas se aplica cuando El Niño no llega a desarrollarse, se podrían generar consecuencias climáticas no deseadas sin ningún beneficio que las justifique.
Los investigadores advirtieron que esos casos “presentan riesgos éticos que deben considerarse con cuidado antes de cualquier implementación futura” y propusieron repetir las simulaciones con distintos modelos y extenderlas a eventos más moderados, que son los más frecuentes y difíciles de predecir.
océano Pacífico,nubes estratocúmulos,albedo,reflexión solar,vista aérea
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AOC-backed candidate ripped for ‘bizarre response’ to transparency question: ‘Pretty basic’
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Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, says he’s waiting on outstanding paperwork needed to accurately fill out his tax disclosure forms.
El-Sayed’s statement appears to be trying to defuse allegations from his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, that he is trying to mask his net worth, hiding the true nature of his wealth until after the Michigan Aug. 4 Democratic primary.
«You’ve sought an extension through August 13, I believe, which is after the primary,» El-Sayed, who is endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other far-left lawmakers, was asked on Wednesday. «Was this to avoid transparency with your voters? Why not release them before the election?»
DEM CIVIL WAR HITS PRIMARY DEBATE STAGE IN FIERY BATTLEGROUND SHOWDOWN: ‘WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?’
Abdul El-Sayed, candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, speaks before U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., takes the stage at Mumford High School on May 3, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
«No,» El-Sayed replied. «Taxes get complicated.»
«My wife and her family own property abroad and getting all those tax forms is a thing,» he added.
As a part of his candidate disclosure report filed in June 2025, El-Sayed has reported a number of holdings. Among them: a salary from Wayne County worth $278,900 and an assortment of other assets bringing his net worth to somewhere between $580,000 and $1.7 million.
As a part of that disclosure, his wife reported a rental property in Bangalore, India worth between $100,001 and $250,000. The disclosure went on to say that his wife brought in between $5,001 and $15,000 in «income.» Another rental property in Ann Arbor, Michigan that was worth between $250,001 $500,000 brought in between $5,001 and $15,000.
To some viewers, El-Sayed’s responses this past week are confusing, given the existence of his 2025 filings.
«A bizarre response,» Chuck Ross, a Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter, wrote in a post to X. «He filed a Senate financial disclosure in June 2025 that listed his wife’s rental property in India.»
«When it comes to actual transparency and investment, the fact that he is saying ‘my wife has foreign assets. My wife has investments abroad.’ Look we need to know you have allegiance to the United States of America,» Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News. «You need to come before the people that are working to elect you and you’ve got to show them what you’re about.»
«If you have nothing to hide, then just release the tax returns. These Trump tactics are an extremely bad look,» another observer wrote.
WATCH: SURFACED VIDEOS OF DEM SENATE CANDIDATE BACKING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ CONTRADICT RECENT DENIALS
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a progressive champion, endorsed far left candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s high-profile 2026 Democratic Senate primary. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Hen Mazzig, a pro-Israel political commentator, also bashed El-Sayed’s response.
«Didn’t realize being unaware of the extent of your own wealth was a characteristic of the working class,» Mazzig said, referring to El-Sayed’s promises to represent everyday Michigan voters against corporate interests.
El-Sayed’s responses on Wednesday come after the Michigan primary debate on Tuesday evening, where Stevens accused El-Sayed of a lack of candor.
«Well, look, transparency is oh so important. This is why I have released my tax returns. My opponent, Abdul, he said that transparency is key, but yet he hasn’t released his tax returns,» Stevens said.
«Look, I am the only one running for United States Senate in Michigan who is not a millionaire,» Stevens said.
When asked if Stevens’ assertions were true, El-Sayed hinted that the figure was a little ambiguous.
«If you take my assets and my wife’s assets together, then I guess they add up to something like that,» El-Sayed said in his Wednesday interview.
In another sit-down with MS Now, El-Sayed pledged to release his tax documents ahead of the primary.
OMAR’S DISCLOSURES ERASED MILLIONS, LEAVING HER WITH POTENTIAL NEGATIVE NET WORTH. SHE WON’T EXPLAIN WHY
U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has been endorsed by Bernie Sanders and embraced comparisons between he and Zohran Mamdani. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
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«We absolutely will. Sometimes finances are complicated. I can only control what I can control, and unfortunately, when it comes to tax documents, sometimes they are really complicated to get,» El-Sayed said.
«We are absolutely going to release it before the primary.»
politics, taxes, democrats senate
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