Israel and Lebanon Hold First Direct Talks in Decades at State Department

Israel and Lebanon opened direct negotiations in Washington on Tuesday, their first formal talks since 1993, as Israel continues to fight the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah on Lebanese soil, NPR and the Associated Press reported.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the meeting at the State Department with the two countries’ ambassadors to the U.S., Nada Hamadeh of Lebanon and Michael Leiter of Israel, NPR’s Michele Kelemen reported. Rubio was joined by aide Michael Needham, Michel Issa, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, and Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. These were not high-level delegations, Kelemen noted.

Leiter told reporters outside that the two sides had “a wonderful exchange of over two hours” and described a future in which the only reason for crossing each other’s territory would be “business suits to conduct business or in bathing suits to go on vacation.” NPR called that a bold statement given the fighting, with Israel occupying parts of southern Lebanon and bombing Hezbollah targets while Hezbollah keeps firing into Israel.

Officials have tried to hold down expectations. Rubio said the team is working on a framework for peace, and NPR reported that he made clear the goal is not a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah but a way to end what he described as 20 to 30 years of the group’s influence in Lebanon. State Department officials said the effort had been under way for weeks and was not a direct result of the U.S.-Iran talks, NPR reported.

The AP explained why the talks are happening now. Hezbollah entered the regional war on March 2, two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran, by firing missiles across the border. Israel answered with a heavy bombing campaign and a ground invasion. Lebanon’s government, which took office in early 2025 on a platform that included disarming armed groups other than the state, criminalized Hezbollah’s military activity and offered direct talks in exchange for a halt to the fighting. On April 8, after more than 100 Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon that killed over 350 people, the AP said, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had agreed to direct negotiations.

The two sides frame the talks differently. According to the AP, Lebanon wants a truce in place first, following the model of the U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan, while Israel has said there will be no ceasefire. Hezbollah is not part of the talks, and the group has accused the Lebanese government of making “free concessions” to an enemy state, the AP reported. NPR asked whether Israel and Lebanon can make progress without Hezbollah; Leiter said Israel will keep fighting as long as Hezbollah fires rockets at civilians.

President Trump has said he urged Israel to scale back its attacks in Lebanon, but NPR’s reporter said she had heard no sign that Israel plans to ease up.