Meeting at the State Department in Washington, DC. (April 14, 2026)
Direct ‘Israel’-Lebanon peace talks “historic opportunity”: Rubio
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Tuesday for ‘Israel’ and Lebanon to seize a "historic opportunity" for peace as the first direct talks in decades between the two got underway in Washington.
"This is a historic opportunity. 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 pro-Iran Hezbollah -- which is battling ‘Israeli’ forces in southern Lebanon -- called for the talks to be scrapped before they even began, describing them as "futile."
The ‘Israeli’ military warned Tuesday that it expected a rise in attacks by Hezbollah targeting the north as the talks were being held.
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."
