Israel has completely shut the door on negotiations with Lebanon, rejecting all diplomatic initiatives, including the latest Egyptian proposal, a senior Lebanese official told MTV Lebanon.

The Egyptian plan called for Hezbollah to surrender its weapons to the Lebanese Army, which would store them, with any future use requiring joint approval between the government and the group. Israel, the official said, “categorically refused” the proposal, signaling that military pressure, rather than dialogue, remains its preferred approach.

Meanwhile, Ron Dermer, Israel’s envoy for Lebanese affairs and appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, remains in Washington, lobbying the U.S. administration to continue its regional strategy against Hezbollah and Iran.

“In the field, the army speaks,” the Lebanese official said, noting that a phrase once used by Hezbollah to justify its military posture now seems to work against it.

Over the past three days, Israeli forces have advanced on the ground using a “bite-and-pull” strategy, moving to the farthest point in each town before withdrawing to conduct systematic sweeps and destruction, then establishing forward positions at town entrances.

The official warned that if Israel maintains this pace, operations south of the Litani River could conclude within two to three weeks. He added that Hezbollah could have reduced its human losses by allowing Israeli forces to advance before launching counterattacks, as it had done in prior confrontations.

Meanwhile, the possibility of an Israeli incursion into the Bekaa Valley via Syria remains highly sensitive. Lebanese authorities stress that deploying the Lebanese Army to confront Israeli forces would be “suicide,” likely resulting in heavy casualties without halting the advance.

The senior Lebanese official said it is unlikely that the conflict will continue through the end of summer, but many questions remain about post-war coexistence, particularly how Hezbollah’s community will integrate with other Lebanese populations once hostilities end.