The US State Department issued a statement on the 14th, after the tripartite talks held the same day between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, saying that all parties agreed to officially launch direct negotiations between the two countries at a time and place to be determined by Israel and Lebanon.
The talks lasted two hours. Participants included US Secretary of State Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Issa, as well as the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States. The US side said this was the first significant high-level contact between the Israeli and Lebanese governments since 1993.
The statement said the United States supports further talks between Israel and Lebanon, with the goal of ultimately reaching a comprehensive peace agreement. The US side emphasized that any Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement must be concluded directly between the two governments, with the US acting as mediator, and cannot be achieved through any other channel.
According to the statement, the Israeli side expressed support during the talks for disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon and pledged to cooperate with the Lebanese government to achieve this goal. Israel also promised to resolve all outstanding issues through direct negotiations and to achieve lasting peace.
Lebanon reiterated the urgent need to fully implement the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024. The Lebanese side emphasized the basic principles of territorial integrity and full national sovereignty, called for a ceasefire, and urged the adoption of effective measures to respond to and alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis suffered by the country due to ongoing conflict.
After the talks, Israeli Ambassador to the US, Light, stated that the Lebanese government and the Israeli side share the same stance regarding Hezbollah. The talks produced several recommendations, which will be submitted to their respective governments. It is likely that another meeting will be reconvened in Washington for further discussion in the next few weeks.
Lebanese Ambassador to the US, Moawad, stated that the day’s discussions were preliminary and constructive, and that the date and place of the next direct meeting with the Israeli side will be announced at an appropriate time.
Lebanon and Israel have not established diplomatic relations.