Direct diplomatic talks between Israel and Lebanon were held in Washington, the first in decades. The talks were mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to multiple reports. The US State Department said the talks were productive and parties agreed to start direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and place.
Direct talks between Lebanon and Israel are highly unusual, with the two countries historically communicating through intermediaries. Efforts to establish negotiations have been ongoing since a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, with US envoys previously mediating indirect talks between the two sides. A senior presidency official told the BBC that negotiations could only happen with a ceasefire in place.
Hezbollah militia is at the center of the negotiations but is not participating in the meeting. Multiple reports indicate Hezbollah opposed the talks and intensified attacks on northern Israel during the discussions. Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to multiple reports.
Israel responded to Hezbollah's attacks with air strikes and a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, according to multiple reports. The Lebanese health ministry said the death toll from Wednesday's massive bombardment had risen to 357, with 1,223 people injured. Over 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon due to Israeli strikes, with more than 1 million displaced, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday. However, the ceasefire between the US and Iran does not cover Lebanon. Pakistan, which mediated the truce, and Iran say Lebanon was included in the ceasefire, creating confusion over whether ongoing hostilities in Lebanon violate an international agreement.
Multiple reports indicate a fragile ceasefire is in place between Israel and Lebanon, but Hezbollah has not formally agreed to it. The Israeli government says Israel plans to occupy a buffer zone in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.
Israel and Lebanon's ambassadors to the US have agreed in a first phone call to meet in Washington on Tuesday to seek an announcement on a ceasefire and a date to begin direct negotiations. Israel's ambassador to Washington confirmed that formal peace negotiations would begin with Lebanon. Israel's ambassador to Washington added that Israel refuses to discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Multiple reports indicate the Israeli army issued an evacuation order in southern Lebanon on Tuesday morning. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun refused to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to anonymous sources.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised direct talks following what he said were repeated requests from the Lebanese government. Delegations will meet on Tuesday to discuss ceasefire conditions, according to a senior official from the president's office.
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said 13 state security personnel had been killed by strikes on the southern city of Nabatieh and condemned the continued attacks. Lebanese authorities said victims of the latest Israeli attacks also included seven members of the same family in the town of Abbassieh and 11 people in Zrarieh. The Israeli military said the wave of attacks across the country had killed at least 180 Hezbollah terrorists from the Lebanese armed group.
The Lebanese health ministry said the toll is still not final, due to the ongoing removal of rubble and the presence of a large amount of human remains requiring DNA testing.
If they can agree on conditions for a ceasefire then negotiations will go ahead at a later date and time, according to a senior official from the president's office. During the call they agreed to the meeting at the US State Department.
The US-brokered ceasefire agreement gives Israel the right to self-defense but does not mention similar rights for Lebanon or Hezbollah, according to the U.S. State Department.
Specific ceasefire conditions being discussed in the Washington talks remain unclear, as does the exact timeline and outcome of Hezbollah's rocket attacks and Israeli responses. The terms regarding Lebanon and Hezbollah's rights in the ceasefire, and current status of Israeli occupation plans, are yet to be detailed.