Leila Faldin

Vance leads U.S.

negotiations to end a war he reportedly never wanted.

I'm Leila Faudel, that's Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News.

President Trump told Israel's prime minister to, quote, go low-key in its attacks on Lebanon after it killed hundreds in one day.

Israel agreed to negotiations with Lebanon, its neighbor and enemy since 1948.

But can there be progress when the Lebanese government is weak and has little control over the political and armed group Hezbollah?

Yeah, Vance is to lead the U.S.

team that will meet for talks in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

It's a big role for an Iraq war veteran whose political brand included opposition to American wars in the Middle East.

His task now is to bring together two countries that have been enemies for almost half a century.

Yeah, that's especially true.

Because it's not a ceasefire at all in Lebanon.

Israel says Lebanon's not part of the deal.

And Wednesday, it launched its deadliest attacks of the entire war, including on densely populated civilian areas of Beirut, far from places known as Hezbollah strongholds.

Many of those strikes came with no warning for civilians and killed more than 300 people.

Today, Lebanese are still pulling their dead from the rubble, and Israel has issued new evacuation orders.

Under pressure from President Trump and other leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will enter into direct talks with Lebanon.

Enough zakat ishbivanu.

The four astronauts launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida nearly 10 days ago after a mission around the moon and back.

They're set to splash down near California tonight.