US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that Israel and Lebanon will hold “historic” talks on Friday, marking the first high-level engagement between the two sides in over three decades.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the initiative aims to ease long-standing tensions between the two countries amid ongoing hostilities, particularly between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire intended to halt the conflict in West Asia.
“Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow. Nice!” his post said.
The announcement signals a potential diplomatic breakthrough in a region marked by continued hostility and intermittent conflict between Israel and Lebanon.
Earlier on Tuesday, the United States (US) hosted a trilateral meeting with Israel and Lebanon, marking their first high-level engagement since 1993.
The talks focused on initiating direct negotiations, with all sides expressing willingness to move towards a ceasefire, security cooperation and a broader peace framework, the US Department of State said in a statement.
US hails Israel-Lebanon talks as historic milestone, pushes for broader peace framework
The meeting was attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Counsellor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A Johnson, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad.
The United States welcomed the meeting as a historic milestone and expressed support for continued dialogue between the two countries. It also backed the Lebanese government’s plans to restore the monopoly of force and curb external influence.
Washington expressed hope that the talks would go beyond the scope of the 2024 agreement and pave the way for a comprehensive peace deal, while reaffirming Israel’s right to defend itself against continued attacks by Hezbollah.
According to the statement, the US said any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by Washington, and not through any separate track. It added that the negotiations could unlock significant reconstruction assistance and economic recovery for Lebanon and expand investment opportunities for both countries.
Israel reiterated its position on disarming all non-state armed groups and dismantling terror infrastructure in Lebanon, and said it was committed to working with the Lebanese government to ensure long-term security for both nations.
Lebanon, meanwhile, reaffirmed the urgent need for full implementation of the November 2024 cessation of hostilities agreement, stressing territorial integrity and state sovereignty, while calling for a ceasefire and steps to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing conflict.
(With ANI inputs)