World
US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel and Lebanon held their first high-level direct peace talks in more than 30 years on Monday, with the United States, which mediated the meeting, describing the discussions as “productive.”
“The participants held productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon,” said Thomas Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department, in a statement on Tuesday.
“The United States expressed its hope that talks can exceed the scope of the 2024 agreement and bring about a comprehensive peace deal,” added the statement, noting that the Israeli delegation expressed its support for disarming “all non-state terror groups” and the Lebanese one reaffirming “the urgent need for the full implementation of the cessation of hostilities announcement of November 2024.”
The trilateral meeting, convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department, included the Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter.
The diplomatic push in Washington came as a fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran largely holds. The Pakistan-mediated truce, announced last Wednesday, followed nearly 40 days of conflict.
Implementation of the truce proved highly contentious amid deep disagreements over its scope, particularly whether it extended to Lebanon or was limited strictly to direct military engagements involving Iran.
“The United States affirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track,” Pigott said.
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