Rubio says ‘historic’ Israel-Lebanon talks should agree on framework for peace
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (third from left) with US, Israeli and Lebanese officials, after talks at the State Department in Washington on April 14.
PHOTO: REUTERS
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
- Israel and Lebanon agreed to direct negotiations after US-mediated talks in Washington, despite decades of war and Hezbollah's opposition.
- Hezbollah attacked northern Israel with rockets, coinciding with the Washington meeting, as the US sought to halt the broader conflict involving Iran.
- A naval blockade of Iran by the US aimed to pressure Tehran and Beijing, while diplomatic efforts continued with talks in Pakistan and offers from Russia.
AI generated
WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted a rare meeting between Israeli and Lebanese envoys in Washington on April 14, saying he hoped the two countries would agree to a framework for a peace process, even as Israel pressed its war on Hezbollah.
The two countries went into their first direct negotiations since 1983 with conflicting agendas, with Israel ruling out discussion of a ceasefire and demanding that Beirut disarm Iran-aligned Hezbollah.
But the presence of Mr Rubio, US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat and national security adviser, signalled Washington’s desire to see progress.
The meeting comes at a critical juncture in the crisis in the Middle East, a week into a fragile ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran.
Iran says Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon must be included in any agreement to end the wider war, complicating talks mediated by Pakistan aimed at averting further economic fallout.
The conflict that began with the US-Israeli strike on Iran on Feb 28 has led to the largest oil supply disruption in history, piling pressure on Mr Trump to find an off-ramp.
Mr Rubio opened the meeting between Israeli Ambassador to the US, Mr Yechiel Leiter, and his Lebanese counterpart, Ms Nada Hamadeh Moawad, saying he hoped the talks could begin a process to permanently end the conflict in Lebanon and prevent Hezbollah, which he called a “terrorist proxy of Iran”, from threatening Israel.
The meeting marked a rare encounter between representatives of governments that have remained technically in a state of war since Israel was established in 1948.
“This is a process, not an event. This is more than just one day. This will take time, but we believe it is worth this endeavour, and it’s a historic gathering that we hope to build on. And the hope today is that we can outline the framework upon which a permanent, lasting peace can be developed,” Mr Rubio said.
Mr Rubio was hosting April 14’s talks amid questions over his lack of in-person participation in talks with Iran, with the Republican President sending Vice-President J.D. Vance to Islamabad over the weekend to lead the US negotiations.
The April 14 meeting in Washington was the first high-level direct talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1993.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Mr Rubio was with Mr Trump in Florida, watching a mixed martial arts event, as Mr Vance announced in Pakistan that talks with the Iranians had concluded with no breakthrough.
State Department Counsellor Michael Needham, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, and US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, a personal friend of Mr Trump, were also participating in the talks on April 14.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement on X as the meeting started that he hoped the talks “will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and the southerners in particular”.
The Lebanese government, led by Mr Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, has called for negotiations with Israel despite objections from Hezbollah, reflecting worsening tensions between the Shi’ite Muslim group and its opponents.
Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran on March 2, sparking an Israeli offensive that has killed more than 2,000 people and forced 1.2 million from their homes, according to the Lebanese authorities.
Lebanese officials have said that only Ms Moawad has the authority to discuss a ceasefire at the April 14 meeting.
But Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said Israel would not discuss a ceasefire.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told reporters in Jerusalem ahead of the meeting that talks would focus on the disarmament of Hezbollah, which he said must take place before Israel and Lebanon could sign any peace agreement and normalise relations.
He said Hezbollah was a problem for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s sovereignty that needed to be addressed to move relations to a different phase.
“We want to reach peace and normalisation with the state of Lebanon,” he said.
The Lebanese state has been seeking to disarm Hezbollah peacefully since a war between the militia and Israel in 2024.
Any move by Lebanon to disarm it by force risks igniting conflict in a country shattered by civil war from 1975 to 1990. Moves against Hezbollah by a Western-backed government in 2008 prompted a short civil war.
The current government banned Hezbollah’s military wing after it opened fire on Israel last month. REUTERS
