Israel & Lebanon further talks

Washington (dpa) — Israeli and Lebanese representatives met on Tuesday in Washington for negotiations aimed at reaching a lasting peace – the first direct political-level talks in decades between the normally hostile neighbouring countries.

The US State Department said the meeting led to “constructive talks on steps toward initiating direct negotiations,” which it described as a “historic milestone.”

It said all sides had agreed to begin direct negotiations at a later date and in a different location. Details were not initially available.

The US expressed hope that the negotiations could lead to a “comprehensive peace agreement” and assured both countries of its support for further talks.

Israeli and Lebanese reports also said the meeting at the level of ambassadors was intended to mark the start of direct negotiations.

Israeli media reported that the meeting between the Lebanese ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and the Israeli representative in Washington, Yechiel Leiter, lasted about two hours.

Israel and the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon renewed fighting shortly after the beginning of US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Israel & Lebanon further talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now seeking a lasting peace agreement with Lebanon and the disarmament of the Hezbollah.

The Lebanese government, which is not a party to the war, is aiming for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.

After the meeting, Moawad told the Lebanese television station MTV that she had called for a ceasefire, the return of internally displaced persons and concrete measures to alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis that the country continues to suffer as a result of the ongoing conflict.

The statement from Washington also reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defence against the ongoing attacks by Hezbollah.

The US said any potential end to hostilities must be achieved between the governments of Israel and Lebanon with US mediation, and not through separate negotiating channels, in a nod to ceasefire talks between the US and Iran.

According to Israeli broadcaster Kan and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the talks also focused on establishing a clear border between the two countries, a matter that has been a source of dispute in the past.

The government in Beirut committed in 2024 to disarming Hezbollah, but has failed to achieve this, outmatched by the powerful Shiite group, which has rejected calls to disarm.

Israel & Lebanon further talks

At the start of the meeting, Hezbollah reportedly fired rocket salvos towards Israel.

Fierce fighting between Israeli troops and the militia had also continued on Tuesday in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, which is considered a Hezbollah stronghold.

Lebanese security sources said heavy shelling had caused significant damage throughout the day, while the Israeli military reported that 10 soldiers had been injured, some of them seriously, in an overnight attack by Hezbollah.

According to the Israeli military report, three Hezbollah members opened fire on Israeli soldiers. The attackers were reportedly killed.

Hezbollah sources said its fighters had launched a suicide attack at an Israeli tank. Contact with the besieged Hezbollah members was last reported in the morning, after which it was lost, they said. Dozens of fighters are said to be still trapped in the town.