Israel and Lebanon began cease-fire talks in Washington, D.C., on the 14th local time.
According to the New York Times (NYT) and the Times of Israel (TOI), before the talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the meeting was "a historic opportunity," adding, "We know we are working to overcome historic barriers that have persisted for decades."
He added, "This is not a one-off event but a process," and "not all the complex issues at stake can be resolved in the next six hours."
The talks are expected to address not only a cease-fire between the two countries but also Hezbollah's long-term disarmament and the conclusion of a peace agreement.
Minister Rubio said, "The core of this meeting is to permanently end Hezbollah's influence in the region that has continued for 20 to 30 years," adding, "That includes not only the harm Hezbollah has inflicted on Israel but also the harm it has inflicted on the people of Lebanon."
This meeting is the highest-level direct negotiation between Israel and Lebanon since 1993. The talks will take place in a three-party format with Minister Rubio present, and will be attended by Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States, and Michel Issa, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.
Lebanon was drawn into the Iran war by a preemptive move by Hezbollah, an armed group within its borders. Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2 in retaliation after the allied Israeli-U.S. military operation led to the death of its ally Iran's then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Even after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week cease-fire, Israel said Lebanon was not part of the cease-fire and has carried out airstrikes across Lebanon, including Beirut.
Israel is demanding Hezbollah's disarmament and a peace agreement, but the Lebanese government hopes for direct talks and a halt to Israeli attacks. The NYT reported that, because the Lebanese government does not have direct control over Hezbollah, an immediate agreement appears unlikely.
Meanwhile, the outcome of these talks is expected to affect the resumption of negotiations between the United States and Iran. The United States and Iran held talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on the 11th but failed to narrow differences over the nuclear issue and control of the Strait of Hormuz. With the two-week cease-fire ending on the 21st, there is speculation that the two sides could resume talks as early as the 16th.