Israel agrees to talks with Lebanon as strikes there threaten fragile U.S.-Iran truce

[0:00] Welcome to the NewsHour. Israel has agreed to negotiations with Lebanon as it continued [0:05] strikes on Beirut today. The bombing across Lebanon is jeopardizing the fragile ceasefire [0:10] between the U.S. and Iran. It comes as American and Iranian diplomats are set to meet in Pakistan [0:16] this weekend. But a wide gulf of trust and lack of clarity on demands threatens this possible end [0:23] to more than five weeks of fighting. Special correspondent Simona Fultin starts our coverage [0:28] from Lebanon still reeling from the deadliest day of Israeli attacks since the start of the wider [0:33] war with Iran. Rescue teams in Beirut have been working around the clock since Israel unleashed [0:40] an unprecedented wave of attacks yesterday. Eighteen people have been pulled dead from the rubble of [0:46] this building alone. There's little hope for the four still buried underneath. But the civil defense [0:52] isn't giving up until everyone is accounted for. We are currently carrying out this search and [0:58] rescue operation the fastest we can. We came here so we can implement this mission and so that we can [1:04] recover the four missing victims. Volunteer Ali Khalid Heibi came to the capital as part of [1:09] reinforcements sent from other parts of the country. There is a drone in the sky right now. The strikes [1:14] are still ongoing. Are you worried about your safety? It's not just a worry. It's a risk above our head. [1:20] This constant annoying sound that's making us nervous. So yes, we are a bit distracted, [1:25] but we will stay here to complete the mission. In just 10 minutes, Israeli warplanes carried out [1:31] more than 100 strikes, killing more than 300 and injuring more than 1,000 in one of the bloodiest [1:37] days in Lebanon's recent history. Israel says it was targeting Hezbollah. The strikes hit densely [1:43] populated residential neighborhoods exacting a heavy civilian toll. Scenes of devastation like this one are [1:49] repeated across the capital, Beirut, in areas that were previously deemed safe. That perception of [1:55] relative safety has been completely shattered. There is a profound feeling of shock, uncertainty, [2:00] and fear that there are no guardrails to prevent this war from escalating further. [2:06] President Trump has pushed Israel to scale back attacks on Lebanon, and today, [2:10] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to direct negotiations. [2:14] I instructed the Cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon in order to achieve two goals, [2:20] one, the disarmament of Hezbollah, two, a historic sustainable peace agreement between Israel and [2:27] Lebanon. The direct talks slated to be in Washington would be the first such negotiation [2:32] between the two countries in decades. As those negotiations play out, President Trump vowed U.S. [2:38] troops, aircraft and the fleet of warships in the region aren't going anywhere until the, quote, [2:43] real agreement is reached and fully complied with. He added, the U.S. military is looking forward, [2:49] actually, to its next conquest. It comes as President Trump has heavily criticized the NATO [2:55] alliance for what he says is a lack of support for the U.S. war effort in Iran. [3:00] In Washington, one day after meeting with the President, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte signaled [3:09] support for the U.S. military and that the alliance may play a role in securing the [3:13] Strait of Hormuz. [3:14] But what I see when I look across Europe today is allies providing a massive amount of support, [3:22] basing, logistics and other measures to ensure the powerful U.S. military succeeds in denying [3:30] Iran a nuclear weapon and degrading its capacity to export chaos. [3:36] But Iran remains defiant. The Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, put out a statement today declaring [3:41] victory for the Iranian people. A news anchor read it out on state TV. It is clear before [3:47] everyone's eyes the dawn of the Islamic Republic's emergence as a great power while the evil is [3:52] facing the downhill slope of weakness. For many Lebanese mourning their loved ones [3:56] and picking through the rubble of their homes. Promises of a ceasefire deal, let alone peace [4:01] with Israel, seem more elusive than ever. Rahat Ali Mohammed survived the strike on this building [4:07] in central Beirut. His living quarters were on the lower ground floor, which is likely [4:11] why he escaped unharmed. The dental clinic right above him was completely destroyed. [4:16] I was in my room downstairs and suddenly the rockets came down hitting this dental clinic. [4:23] The ceiling came down on us. There was no warning. The place was full of dust. It took 10 to 15 minutes [4:30] until I could see anything. So I could open the door and escape through a small crack. [4:34] Rahat has worked as the building's attendant for five years. He knew each and every person who lived [4:40] here and said none of the residents were affiliated with Hezbollah. [4:43] Our building has seven floors. All of the residents are civilians. There's no one else here. [4:50] The building across the street was also targeted and completely erased to the ground. The IDF said it [4:55] expanded its military campaign to neighborhoods like these because Hezbollah had moved outside its [5:00] traditional areas of control, but it has provided no evidence to support these claims. In the wake of [5:06] so much loss, accusations are swirling around, fueled by paranoia and growing internal rifts among Lebanese. [5:14] This woman who lives in the neighborhood came up to us to say that she saw suspicious movements in and [5:19] out of the building that was demolished. She wanted to remain anonymous out of fear for her safety. [5:24] For two years, we've been saying that there are trucks entering the building that we are suspicious of. [5:30] They've entered several times. We couldn't verify these claims. Another neighbor told us that [5:36] authorities reportedly inspected the building and found nothing. Even if Hezbollah was present here, [5:41] international law still requires Israel to observe principles of proportionality and precaution to [5:47] prevent civilian harm. But yesterday's air raids were all but proportional, and they came without [5:54] warning. Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the government would file a complaint to the UN Security [6:00] Council. This dangerous escalation comes in defiance of all international and regional efforts to end the [6:07] war in the region and blatantly disregards the principles of international law and international [6:12] humanitarian law. Indeed, it flagrantly violates them. The prime minister repeated calls to disarm Hezbollah. [6:21] The army and security forces are required to immediately begin enhancing the state's full [6:26] authority across Beirut and restricting arms to legitimate forces only. That process was ongoing before [6:33] the war escalated last month. The Lebanese army had confiscated much of Hezbollah's weaponry in Lebanon [6:39] south, completing the first of a precarious five-phase plan to disarm the militant group. [6:45] But army officials have said it's not feasible to take Hezbollah's weapons by force, [6:50] and as long as Israel keeps attacking and occupying the country. [6:54] For the PBS NewsHour, I'm Simona Foltin in Beirut, Lebanon. [6:59] Support journalism you trust. Support PBS News. Donate now, or even better, [7:05] start a monthly contribution today.