Israel’s Ambassador to the United States announced Tuesday that both nations discovered unexpected unity during their first face-to-face diplomatic discussions since 1993, with both countries expressing opposition to Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.
Ambassador Yechiel Leiter characterized the outcome as finding alignment on a crucial issue. “We discovered today that we’re on the same side of the equation. That’s the most positive thing we could have come away with,” Leiter stated following the Washington meeting. “We are both united in liberating Lebanon from an occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah.”
The historic diplomatic session, facilitated by American officials, commenced at 11 a.m. Eastern Time and continued for two hours. Secretary of State Marco Rubio participated in the discussions alongside Leiter and Lebanon’s U.S. Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad.
Before the negotiations began, Rubio warned against anticipating quick outcomes. He characterized the initiative as a “process, not an event” and stated, “This is a historic opportunity,” while acknowledging that “we’re working against decades of history and complexities” that cannot be rapidly resolved. Rubio mentioned the Trump administration is “very happy” to be overseeing these conversations.
Israeli officials have rejected any ceasefire before negotiations, declaring their goal is dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities and exploring potential peace arrangements with Lebanon. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated Tuesday that Israel’s conflict is not with Lebanon directly, emphasizing that “the problem is Hezbollah.”
Leiter indicated Israel anticipates Lebanon will “completely” distance itself from Iran and Hezbollah, noting that “the Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah and Iran has been weakened; Hezbollah is dramatically weakened.” He characterized the current circumstances as “an opportunity.”
Before the discussions, Lebanese officials had demanded a ceasefire as a prerequisite. President Joseph Aoun stated Monday, “Israel’s destruction of Lebanese territories is not the solution, nor will it yield any results,” arguing that “Diplomatic solutions have consistently proven to be the most effective means of resolving armed conflicts globally.”
Hezbollah rejected the negotiations and had no representation present. Wafiq Safa announced the organization would not honor any resulting agreements, while Secretary-General Naim Kassem advocated for returning to a 2024 framework involving indirect negotiations mediated by the U.S., France, and United Nations peacekeeping forces.
