US says Israel and Lebanon will hold Washington talks next week
The State Department said the meetings follow a renewed Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and come amid pressure to protect a US-Iran deal.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
The United States said Israel and Lebanon will hold another round of talks in Washington next week, as renewed fighting threatens wider diplomatic efforts in the region. The State Department said the meetings are set for June 23 and June 25, shortly after Israel and Hezbollah announced a fresh ceasefire in Lebanon.
According to Al Jazeera, the announcement came as clashes in Lebanon risked undermining a US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war. The agreement also includes a commitment to protect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Al Jazeera reported.
Rubio speaks with Lebanon’s president
The State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Friday with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun about the planned meetings. Rubio told Aoun that direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel are, in Washington’s view, the workable route toward rebuilding, economic recovery and an end to repeated violence, according to the department.
The talks will bring together representatives of two governments that have no formal peace agreement. Al Jazeera reported that Israel and Lebanon held direct talks in April for the first time since 1993, followed by another round in June.
Those meetings produced pauses in fighting, according to Al Jazeera. But the talks have not included Hezbollah, a factor Al Jazeera said has limited prospects for major progress.
Fighting continues despite pauses
Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade attacks in recent months, according to Al Jazeera. In the latest escalation, Israeli strikes killed at least 47 people across southern Lebanon since midnight, Al Jazeera reported.
Lebanon’s government has been trying to disarm Hezbollah under a US-backed plan after a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, according to Al Jazeera. Beirut has also pressed for Israel to pull out of southern Lebanon.
Al Jazeera reported that an agreement reached in June called for Hezbollah to move north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon. That text did not require a complete Israeli withdrawal, according to the network.
The continued violence has complicated the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, Al Jazeera reported. The fighting prompted a rare criticism of Israel from US President Donald Trump, according to the network.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said earlier Friday that Israel was seeking “permanent war,” Al Jazeera reported. The accusation came as Iran signaled concern that fighting in Lebanon could disrupt the broader diplomatic arrangement with Washington.
The State Department framed next week’s meetings as part of an effort to move Israel and Lebanon toward a more durable settlement. Whether the talks can produce a broader reduction in violence remains uncertain, especially while Hezbollah is outside the negotiating room, according to Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.