Lebanon and Israel to hold first direct talks in decades in Washington today

Lebanon and Israel are set to hold the first direct diplomatic talks in decades in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The historic talks will feature Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 2,089 people in Lebanon, the Health Ministry said, among them 252 women, 166 children and 88 medical workers, with 6,762 others wounded.

More than one million people have been displaced.

The talks could pave a way towards the end of a war in Iran as well – Tehran has demanded an end to the strikes in Lebanon as a condition to begin talks with the US.

But Hezbollah and critics are sceptical and believe Lebanon’s government in Beirut has no leverage and should take advantage of the position of Iran, the group’s key ally and patron.

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The Israeli military continues an invasion into southern Lebanon, which some Israeli officials have said aims to create a depopulated ‘security zone’ from the border to the Litani River, some 20 miles.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, weakened after its last war with Israel that ended in November 2024, still fires drones, rockets and artillery daily into northern Israel and on ground troops inside Lebanon.

The Israeli and Lebanese governments are meeting to discuss ways to ensure long-term security on Israel’s northern border.

They also want to support Lebanon controlling its territory and political future from Iran-backed Hezbollah, a US State Department official said.

They will be the first talks between the two since 1993, according to the official.

Lebanon’s top political authorities, critical of Hezbollah’s decision to fire rockets towards Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran, quickly proposed direct talks in a bid to stop the escalation, hoping that Israel would not launch its ground invasion.

Israel did not respond positively until last week, after it launched 100 strikes across the country, including in the heart of the Lebanese capital.

Beirut wants a truce as a prerequisite to talks, similar to Pakistan-brokered negotiations between the US and Iran.

‘Israel’s destruction of Lebanese territories is not the solution, nor will it yield any results,’ said President Joseph Aoun, who came to power vowing to disarm non-state groups, including Hezbollah.

‘Diplomatic solutions have consistently proven to be the most effective means of resolving armed conflicts globally.’
But Israel has ruled out a ceasefire, saying that Hezbollah continues to attack Israel ‘indiscriminately’.

Hezbollah and its supporters have been critical, calling it a free concession to Israel.

Hezbollah secretary-general Naim Kassem delivered a fiery speech calling on Lebanon to cancel the talks.

Hezbollah wants a return to the 2024 agreement under which talks were conducted indirectly with the US, France and the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon as mediators.

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