Israel and Lebanon Agree to Direct Negotiations in Washington

Israel and Lebanon agreed to pursue direct negotiations following their first high-level bilateral talks since 1993, held in Washington on Tuesday and mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting, involving the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States, produced no formal common ground per the State Department readout, but both sides described discussions as productive and agreed to set a future time and venue for talks. Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad called it constructive while reiterating demands for a ceasefire and full Lebanese sovereignty over southern territory currently under Israeli occupation. Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter framed the session as a shared effort to roll back Hezbollah's influence. The Washington talks carry weight beyond bilateral terms. The US is managing a two-week ceasefire in its own conflict with Iran and views Israeli-Lebanese escalation as a destabilizing variable after Iran talks in Pakistan failed. Hezbollah launched rockets at more than a dozen northern Israeli towns as the Washington meeting began, signaling it will act as a spoiler. Israel's position, no ceasefire until Hezbollah is dismantled, remains at direct odds with Lebanon's sovereignty demands, leaving the mechanism for any durable agreement unresolved. Foreign ministers from 17 countries including Britain and France called on both sides to advance the process.