Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a “historic opportunity” as Israel and Lebanon launched what officials described as their first direct talks in more than four decades on Tuesday, with envoys signaling they are “on the same side” against Iran-backed Hezbollah and expressing cautious optimism the effort could lay the groundwork for a durable peace.
The roughly two-hour session between Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad marked the highest-level engagement between the two sides in decades — and the first direct talks since 1993 — as U.S. officials facilitated discussions aimed at launching a formal negotiation track.
Israel and Lebanon have technically remained in a state of war since Israel’s founding in 1948, making Tuesday’s meeting a significant diplomatic breakthrough after more than 40 years without direct negotiations.
In a joint statement following the talks,
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