Direct Lebanon-Israel talks confirmed for Tuesday in Washington
Shafaq News- Beirut
The first direct Lebanese-Israeli contact had taken place on Friday, with both sides agreeing to hold their first formal meeting at the US State Department on Tuesday to discuss a ceasefire declaration and a negotiating framework under American sponsorship.
The Lebanese Presidency said the initial contact came through a direct call between Lebanon's ambassador to Washington, Nada Hammadeh, and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.
صدر عن مكتب الإعلام في رئاسة الجمهورية البيان الاتي:بناء على المبادرة التي اطلقها رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون والتي ترتكز على العمل الدبلوماسي من خلال الإعلان عن وقف لإطلاق النار والذهاب إلى التفاوض المباشر مع إسرائيل ، وبعد الاتصالات الدولية والعربية التي اجراها الرئيس…
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) April 10, 2026
A senior American official confirmed the Tuesday meeting, describing it as part of the Trump administration's efforts to impose a comprehensive de-escalation and untangle the region's overlapping crises. Israeli media quoted the official as saying the talks aimed at ending nearly 40 days of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon. Israeli sources also told the Israeli Broadcasting Authority that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered a change in the strikes policy on Lebanon following a direct request from Trump.
Hezbollah condemned the development, criticizing Lebanon's "rush" into direct negotiations with Israel and warning of the dangers of "a path of concessions."
Lebanon pushed for direct negotiations early in the war that began on March 2, with President Joseph Aoun expressing readiness to open talks to halt the fighting and even signaling openness to broader normalization, but Israel rejected the offer at the time, citing Beirut’s inability to control Hezbollah and calling the proposal insufficient. Later, after Iran included Lebanon in its 10-point proposal as part of a broader ceasefire and negotiation framework, Israel shifted its position despite continuing military operations on the ground.
