Washington (United States) (AFP) – Direct talks between Israel and Lebanon concluded in Washington on Tuesday, with Israel’s envoy hailing a “wonderful exchange” and saying the two countries are “on the same side” in opposing Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“We enjoyed it together. We had a wonderful exchange of over two hours,” Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter told reporters following the talks. “We discovered today that we’re on the same side,” he said, adding: “We are both united in liberating Lebanon from (an) occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah.”
There was no immediate reaction from the Lebanese side. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who mediated the talks — had earlier urged the two countries to seize a “historic opportunity” for peace. “We understand we’re working against decades of history and the complexities that have led us to this unique moment and the opportunity here,” Rubio said at the State Department as he welcomed the ambassadors of the two countries. “The hope today is that we can outline a framework upon which a current and lasting peace can be developed,” he added.
But the prospect of an easy agreement appears slim, especially as Hezbollah — which is battling Israeli forces in southern Lebanon — opposed the talks and called for them to be scrapped before they even began. Hezbollah said it had launched “simultaneous rocket salvos” at 13 northern Israeli towns shortly after the start of the discussions, following an Israeli warning of a rise in attacks during the talks.
Lebanon was pulled into the region-wide Iran war on March 2 after Hezbollah attacked Israel. Since then, Israeli strikes — including an extremely heavy attack on Beirut on April 8 — have killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than one million, despite international calls for a ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that “we want the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons, and we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations.” On the Lebanese side, President Joseph Aoun said Monday he hoped the Washington talks will yield “an agreement…on a ceasefire in Lebanon, with the aim of starting direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.”
President Donald Trump’s administration insists on the disarmament of Hezbollah, but also respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, while simultaneously upholding Israel’s rights — positions that appear difficult to reconcile. A former Israeli defense official told journalists on condition of anonymity Monday that it would take “a lot of imagination and optimism to think” that the issues between Israel and Lebanon can be solved in Washington Tuesday, adding that “expectations are low.”
© 2024 AFP
