Update: Israel, Lebanon start ambassador-level talks in U.S.

Xinhua
14 Apr 2026, 23:15 GMT+10

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel-Lebanon direct talks at the ambassador level are underway on Tuesday at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C.

"All of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in the next six hours, but we can begin to move forward and create the framework for something can happen, something very positive, something very permanent," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in short opening remarks.

"This is a process, not an event. This is more than just one day," Rubio added.

Rubio described the meeting as "a historic opportunity" since it is believed to be the most high-level direct meeting between Israel and Lebanon since 1993.

Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter took part in the talks, along with Rubio and other U.S. officials.

Israel and Lebanon laid out different expectations on Monday, with Israel insisting on Hezbollah's disarmament and a peace agreement, and Lebanon voicing hope for a ceasefire and the launch of direct negotiations, according to reports.

At least 35 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon in the past 24 hours, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Tuesday in a daily update.

Hezbollah entered the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on March 2, launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since the 2024 ceasefire. Israel responded with a ground offensive amid an intensified military campaign targeting multiple areas across the country, killing more than 2,000 people.

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