Israel and Lebanon Agree to Direct Talks with U.S. Mediation

On April 14 (local time), Israel and Lebanon agreed to hold direct negotiations during a trilateral meeting mediated by the United States. However, no agreement was reached regarding a Lebanon ceasefire during this meeting.

According to the U.S. Department of State, Nada Hamade Mouawad, Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, and Yechiel Reiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States, met with Secretary of State Mark Rubio and others at the Department of State headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mark Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State (third from left), and other participants in the Israel-Lebanon negotiations. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

This was the first high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel since 1993. The two countries do not have diplomatic relations and, in effect, have remained in a state of war since the founding of Israel.

After the meeting, the U.S. Department of State issued a statement saying, "Both sides agreed to begin direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and place."

The Department of State further stated, "The United States congratulates both countries on reaching this historic milestone, and supports further negotiations as well as the Lebanese government's plans to restore its monopoly on the use of force and to end Iran's excessive influence. We hope this will lead to a more comprehensive peace agreement beyond the 2024 agreement."

The State Department also stressed, "Any agreement to end hostilities must be reached between the two governments under U.S. mediation, not through a separate channel."

The New York Times (NYT) explained that this is interpreted as a message to Iran that a Lebanon ceasefire is not a subject for discussion between the United States and Iran.

Reportedly, the meeting addressed issues such as a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the long-term disarmament of Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militant faction in Lebanon, and the signing of a peace agreement between the two countries.

However, the NYT and others pointed out that the party actually engaged in combat with Israel in Lebanon is not the Lebanese regular army but Hezbollah. Since Hezbollah did not participate in this meeting, it remains uncertain whether an agreement between the Lebanese and Israeli governments will actually end the fighting. Hezbollah has consistently opposed all meetings between the Israeli and Lebanese governments.

A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is one of the main issues in the negotiations between the United States and Iran. On April 7, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, but Israel has continued its attacks, stating that Lebanon is not included in the agreement. Iran is urging the United States to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon. With the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran ending on April 21, it appears that both sides may resume negotiations as soon as April 16.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.