Washington is pushing for a face-to-face summit between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with American officials arguing Thursday that such a meeting could lead to Israeli forces pulling out of southern Lebanon and returning control to the Lebanese government.
The proposal emerged from the US Embassy in Lebanon as the Biden administration works to transform the current fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah into a lasting peace agreement. Embassy officials stated: “A direct meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu, facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory—guaranteed by the United States.”
American diplomats characterized Lebanon as standing “at a crossroads,” emphasizing that direct discussions with Israel “can mark the beginning of a national revival.”
The two neighboring countries have never established official diplomatic ties and continue to exist in a technical state of war. Their border has been managed under a 1949 armistice deal for decades, though Hezbollah’s armed presence in Lebanon’s south has repeatedly sparked conflicts with Israel. Israeli officials justify their current military operations as necessary to stop Hezbollah from reestablishing threatening positions along the frontier that could endanger Israeli border communities.
The American initiative comes amid sharp disagreements within Lebanon’s government about engaging with Israel. While Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have expressed openness to discussions that might bring border stability and restore government authority, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who maintains ties to Hezbollah, has rejected normalization efforts and instead advocates for a limited non-aggression pact.
President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to host both Netanyahu and Aoun for talks, with US officials identifying the dismantling of Hezbollah’s military capabilities as essential to any permanent agreement. Lebanon’s key priorities include Israeli troop withdrawal, release of prisoners, reconstruction assistance, and establishing Lebanese state control throughout the south instead of continued Hezbollah dominance.
