Beirut, April 30 (QNA) - Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said that Beirut is maintaining diplomatic contact with the United States aimed at pressuring Israel to agree to a ceasefire.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting, he said he was coordinating with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and monitoring developments in southern Lebanon, while also engaging Lebanon's ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh Maalouf to continue efforts with the US administration.

He reiterated Lebanon's commitment to halting hostilities and consolidating a ceasefire, stressing that intensive diplomatic contacts were ongoing.

Prime Minister Salam said Lebanon had not yet entered formal negotiations, adding that discussions in Washington remained exploratory. He said the immediate priority was achieving a ceasefire before moving towards talks aimed at addressing the root causes of the conflict between Lebanon and Israel.

Lebanese authorities also reported continued casualties and damage from ongoing Israeli strikes, which they said have caused widespread destruction in border areas since early March. (QNA)