BEIRUT: Lebanon is making diplomatic efforts to maintain a fragile truce and bridge internal divisions as Israeli military actions intensify.

A senior Lebanese official stated that the country has been pressuring Washington to curb Israel's military activities, securing verbal assurances that Beirut and its southern suburbs will be spared further attacks.

The diplomatic efforts come amid intensified strikes in the Bekaa Valley on Monday, raising doubts about the truce's durability.

Despite this escalation, Lebanese officials maintain that progress toward negotiations depends on stabilizing the ceasefire.

According to the official source, discussions with Israel are currently on hold pending US arrangements to set a date for formal talks.

The United States has not imposed conditions on Lebanon, but the country insists on a full ceasefire as a prerequisite for entering negotiations.

The current ceasefire was announced by the US State Department following meetings between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington on April 16 and extended for three weeks after a second round of talks.

This brief extension raised hopes of de-escalation in Lebanon's volatile political landscape, but this hope faded rapidly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered intensified strikes against Hezbollah positions inside Lebanon.

Since then, repeated offenses by both sides have resulted in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries, including children, with fears of a broader escalation resurfacing.

No invitation has been extended for a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On the ground, Israeli strikes have moved deeper into southern Lebanon, targeting areas beyond the so-called 'Yellow Line.' Towns such as Deir Aames, located more than five kilometers from the unofficial boundary, have been hit after residents received evacuation warnings.

Motorcyclists have also been targeted in separate strikes.

Hezbollah has responded with rocket and drone attacks against Israeli positions along the border and in occupied areas, claiming to have downed several Israeli drones.

Tensions within Lebanon are intensifying, particularly between the state and Hezbollah over the direction of negotiations.

President Aoun has pushed back against criticism of the government's diplomatic approach, accusing those who took the country to war of holding the government accountable for engaging in talks without national consensus.

Aoun argues that the current diplomatic efforts are not treasonous but rather a commitment to ending the conflict and ensuring foreign interests do not dictate Lebanon's fate.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has issued a 'categorical rejection' of direct negotiations with Israel, labeling the government's approach as 'gratuitous and humiliating concessions.'

Efforts to coordinate positions and ease internal tensions are underway, including potential meetings between Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally.

Lebanese officials aim to integrate Hezbollah within the state framework, enforce a state monopoly on weapons, and ensure decisions on war and peace remain under government authority.

Lebanese officials are also seeking broader regional backing from countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

These countries have engaged with Washington to support Lebanon's position and help stabilize the ceasefire.

MP Bilal Abdallah of the Progressive Socialist Party acknowledges that negotiations are unavoidable but urges caution in navigating diplomatic efforts, emphasizing the need for a phased approach starting with consolidating the ceasefire, securing Israeli withdrawal, releasing prisoners, and reconstruction.

Despite acknowledging Lebanon's limited leverage, he warns against conceding too much to Israel.

He asserts that Lebanon cannot exhaust all its cards and surrender to Israel.