{"id":50975,"date":"2026-04-15T01:35:06","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T01:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=50975"},"modified":"2026-04-15T01:35:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T01:35:06","slug":"israel-lebanon-end-first-round-of-historic-peace-talks-in-d-c-on-the-same-side-against-hezbollah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=50975","title":{"rendered":"Israel, Lebanon End First Round of Historic Peace Talks in D.C. \u2014 \u2018On the Same Side\u2019 Against Hezbollah"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a \u201chistoric opportunity\u201d as Israel and Lebanon launched what officials described as their first direct talks in more than four decades on Tuesday, with envoys signaling they are \u201con the same side\u201d against Iran-backed Hezbollah and expressing cautious optimism the effort could lay the groundwork for a durable peace.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"1143\" data-end=\"1478\">The roughly two-hour session between Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad marked the highest-level engagement between the two sides in decades \u2014 and the first direct talks since 1993 \u2014 as U.S. officials facilitated discussions aimed at launching a formal negotiation track.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"1480\" data-end=\"1692\">Israel and Lebanon have technically remained in a state of war since Israel\u2019s founding in 1948, making Tuesday\u2019s meeting a significant diplomatic breakthrough after more than 40 years without direct negotiations.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2044090512710291718\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/michaelgwaltz\/status\/2044090512710291718\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1694\" data-end=\"1984\">In a joint statement following the talks, the United States, Israel, and Lebanon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/releases\/office-of-the-spokesperson\/2026\/04\/meeting-between-the-governments-of-the-united-states-lebanon-and-israel\/\">said<\/a> they held \u201cproductive discussions\u201d and agreed to launch direct negotiations \u201cat a mutually agreed time and venue,\u201d signaling the start of a broader diplomatic process aimed at a potential peace agreement.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1986\" data-end=\"2177\">Rubio cautioned the effort would unfold gradually, describing it as \u201ca process, not an event,\u201d while expressing hope the talks could establish a framework for a \u201cpermanent and lasting peace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"2179\" data-end=\"2427\">The talks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/3-hezbollah-operatives-surrendered-to-idf-troops-in-bint-jbeil-says-military\/\">unfolded<\/a> against an active conflict backdrop, with Hezbollah \u2014 an Iran-backed terrorist organization designated by the United States and others \u2014 launching attacks on Israel as the meeting began and triggering warning sirens in the north.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a9d\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"2429\" data-end=\"2619\">Israeli officials have made clear the talks will proceed alongside continued military operations against Hezbollah, maintaining pressure on the group while testing a diplomatic path forward.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2621\" data-end=\"2910\">Washington emphasized that any agreement to cease hostilities must be negotiated directly between Jerusalem and Beirut, rejecting efforts to link the track to separate U.S.-Iran negotiations and reiterating support for Israel\u2019s right to defend itself against Hezbollah\u2019s continued attacks.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2912\" data-end=\"3201\">Israeli officials used the meeting to press for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantling of its infrastructure, with the joint statement noting Israel\u2019s commitment to eliminating \u201call non-state terror groups\u201d in Lebanon while pursuing a \u201cdurable peace\u201d through direct negotiations.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3203\" data-end=\"3453\">Lebanon, for its part, reiterated what officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/israeli-lebanese-envoys-hold-historic-summit-in-washington-to-discuss-peace-deal\/\">described<\/a> as an \u201curgent need\u201d to fully implement the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, calling for a cessation of hostilities alongside measures to address the country\u2019s worsening humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3455\" data-end=\"3654\">Lebanese officials have emphasized the crisis facing civilians, while U.S. and Israeli officials have pointed to Hezbollah\u2019s continued entrenchment and attacks as a central driver of the instability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"3656\" data-end=\"3959\">Despite the differences in emphasis, Leiter struck an optimistic tone following the talks, telling reporters, \u201cWe discovered today that we are both on the same side of the equation,\u201d adding that both countries are \u201cunited to liberate Lebanon from the occupying power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a9d adSo\"\/>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2044141745269567649\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AGHamilton29\/status\/2044141745269567649\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3961\" data-end=\"4192\">He described the meeting as laying out a \u201clong-term vision\u201d for clearly defined borders and eventual normalization, arguing that Hezbollah\u2019s weakening \u2014 alongside broader pressure on Iran \u2014 has created a rare opening for diplomacy.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4194\" data-end=\"4384\">\u201cThis is not a pipe dream, it\u2019s a reality,\u201d Leiter <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SkyNews\/status\/2044118631877886147?s=20\">said<\/a> in separate remarks, adding that recent developments have created an opportunity to degrade Iran\u2019s regional proxies and advance peace.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4386\" data-end=\"4584\">Officials indicated the talks could ultimately pave the way for normalization and potential expansion of the Abraham Accords framework, though they cautioned the process remains in its early stages.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4586\" data-end=\"4795\">The terror group has rejected the negotiations outright, with Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem opposing talks with Israel and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/news\/israel-news\/lebanon-israel-talks-stabbing-resistance-in-the-back-hezbollah-leader-says\">warning<\/a> of further escalation, underscoring the challenges facing the diplomatic track.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/t\/assets\/html\/tweet-5.html#2044078087764099090\" data-btlnk=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MiddleEast_24\/status\/2044078087764099090\" class=\"bnn-if-tweet\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4797\" data-end=\"5015\">Rubio acknowledged the complexity, noting that decades of conflict and Hezbollah\u2019s entrenched presence would not be resolved quickly, but insisted the current moment presents a rare opportunity to reset the trajectory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"a9d-pre\" data-start=\"5017\" data-end=\"5233\">\u201cThis is a historic gathering that we hope to build on,\u201d Rubio said, adding that the goal is to ensure Israelis can live free from rocket attacks, while Lebanese citizens can achieve \u201cpeace, prosperity, and security.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a9d adSo\"\/>\n<p data-start=\"5235\" data-end=\"5412\">No date for a follow-up round has been announced, though officials indicated talks are expected to resume in the coming weeks as both sides consult their respective governments.<\/p>\n<p><em>Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter\u00a0<a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JoshuaKlein_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">@JoshuaKlein<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2026\/04\/14\/israel-lebanon-end-first-round-historic-peace-talks-d-c\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a \u201chistoric opportunity\u201d as Israel and Lebanon launched what officials described as their first direct talks in more than&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50975\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/50976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}