US Hosts Israel-Lebanon Direct Talks for First Time

US-Brokered Talks Between Israel and Lebanon Set to Begin

Ambassadors from Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to meet with US officials in Washington, DC on Tuesday as part of a high-level diplomatic effort. The talks, which have been described as “open, direct, and high-level,” mark the first bilateral engagement between the two nations since 1993.

Lebanese authorities are seeking to secure a ceasefire, while Israel’s goal is to disarm the Hezbollah armed group. However, Hezbollah has rejected the talks, calling them “futile” and stating that they are an attempt to pressure the group into laying down its arms.

The negotiations will take place at the US Department of State headquarters in Washington, DC, with a scheduled start time of 11am Eastern Time (15:00 GMT). The key participants include representatives from the US, Lebanon, and Israel.

According to reports, the talks are focused on securing a ceasefire, disarming Hezbollah, and exploring a broader peace arrangement. However, the two sides have vastly different starting points, with Israel attending the talks with instructions not to agree to a ceasefire.

The agenda for the meeting includes discussions of a potential security zone in southern Lebanon, as well as proposals from Israeli officials to dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons and establish a real peace agreement that would last for generations. The US has described the talks as a necessary response to “Hezbollah’s reckless actions.”

The diplomatic push follows an intense escalation in violence between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides accusing each other of targeting civilian areas. The conflict has resulted in significant loss of life, including at least 2,089 people killed, and over 1.2 million displaced.

The talks are the latest development in a long-standing dispute between Israel and Lebanon, with the US playing a key role in brokering the negotiations.

Source: Al Jazeera