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Rabat – Israel and Lebanon held their first direct diplomatic talks in more than 30 years on Tuesday, in a rare meeting aimed at addressing ongoing hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, officials said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mediated the talks, with Washington describing this historic meeting as an initial step towards de-escalation, though both sides remain far apart on key issues.
Rubio called the meeting “a historic opportunity” but cautioned that progress would take time. “This will take time, but we believe it is worth this endeavor,” he told reporters ahead of the talks, adding that it was “a process” the United States hoped to build on.
In a statement following the meeting, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Israel and Lebanon had agreed to launch direct negotiations at a later date and venue.
Israel reiterated its objective of dismantling all non-state armed groups, a reference to Hezbollah, while Lebanon called for an immediate ceasefire and measures to address what officials described as a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The two countries do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, and they last held direct high-level talks in 1993.
Read also: Lebanon President Proposes Direct Talks with Israel, Criticizes Hezbollah
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he hoped the meeting would “mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people,” particularly in the country’s south. “The only solution” would involve the Lebanese armed forces being solely responsible for security in the region, he argued.
However, Hezbollah signaled it would not be bound by any agreements reached. “We are not bound by what they agreed to,” Wafiq Safa, a senior member of the group’s political council, told the Associated Press.
Fighting has intensified in recent weeks. Lebanese authorities say more than 2,000 people have been killed since Israeli military operations in Lebanon began on March 2, following US and Israeli strikes in Iran.
While the talks were taking place in Washington, Hezbollah claimed it carried out at least 24 attacks on Israeli targets, while Israeli authorities reported drone and rocket alerts across northern regions.
Israel says its military campaign aims to disarm and dismantle Hezbollah, which it has fought repeatedly, including during conflicts in 2023 and 2024.
The United States reiterated its support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks, while also backing diplomatic efforts to reduce the group’s influence in Lebanon, according to the State Department statement.
Separately, Iranian negotiators in talks with US officials in Pakistan last week called for Lebanon to be included in any broader ceasefire arrangement. Yet both Washington and Israel have so far strongly rejected this proposal, officials said.
The conflict has displaced roughly one million people in Lebanon since the latest escalation began, according to official estimates.
