Lebanese and Israeli diplomats are meeting face-to-face in formal talks in Washington, the first direct diplomatic discussion between Lebanon and Israel in decades. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to multiple reports.
Hezbollah opposed the direct engagement and intensified attacks on northern Israel as the discussions commenced, multiple reports indicate. Hezbollah launched simultaneous rocket salvos at 13 northern Israeli towns shortly after the start of the discussions, according to multiple reports. The group claimed 24 attacks on northern Israel and Israeli troops in southern Lebanon on the day of the talks, multiple reports indicate.
Hezbollah said it would not abide by any agreements made during the talks. The conflict has exacted a devastating human cost in Lebanon. At least 2,124 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including hundreds of women and children, and more than 1 million are displaced, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.
2 million displaced since Israel launched an air offensive on March 2, multiple reports indicate. -Israeli attack on Iran, multiple reports indicate. , and Iran last week, multiple reports indicate.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conditioned the success of the talks on the disarmament of Hezbollah. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun hoped the talks would yield an agreement on a ceasefire in Lebanon, aiming to start direct negotiations. S.
State Department said the discussions were productive and all parties agreed to start direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and place. Israel's ambassador to Washington confirmed that formal peace negotiations would begin with Lebanon, but added that Israel refuses to discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah, according to research. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized direct talks following repeated requests from the Lebanese government, according to research.
Conflicting casualty reports have emerged from recent violence. The Lebanese health ministry said the death toll from Wednesday's massive bombardment had risen to 357, with 1,223 people injured, according to research. The Israeli military said the wave of attacks across the country had killed at least 180 Hezbollah terrorists from the Lebanese armed group, according to research.
There is fierce dispute over whether Lebanon was included in the US-Iran ceasefire declared by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, according to research. Pakistan and Iran say Lebanon was included in the ceasefire, according to research. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Israeli strikes on Lebanon constituted a grave violation of the ceasefire, according to research.
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, according to research. The specific ceasefire conditions or terms discussed during the talks in Washington have not been publicly disclosed, leaving key details uncertain. Additionally, the exact timeline or date agreed upon for the start of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel remains unclear, posing challenges for planning next steps.
How Hezbollah's non-participation and continued attacks will impact the implementation of any agreements reached is a major unknown, given the group's military presence and political influence in Lebanon. The precise number of casualties and displaced persons in Lebanon is difficult to ascertain, given varying reports from different sources, including the Lebanese health ministry and multiple media outlets. S.
mediation is also not yet determined, adding another layer of complexity to the diplomatic landscape.