The United States will host two days of talks between Israel and Lebanon on May 14-15 to advance a broader peace and security agreement, Tommy Pigott, U.S. State Department spokesman, announced on Friday.
“Both delegations will engage in detailed discussions aimed at advancing a comprehensive peace and security agreement that substantively addresses the core concerns of both countries,” Pigott stated. “These talks aim to break decisively from the failed approach of the past two decades, which allowed terrorist groups to entrench and enrich themselves, undermine the authority of the Lebanese state and endanger Israel’s northern border.”
The discussions seek to establish “a framework for lasting peace and security arrangements,” he added.
“Both sides have committed to approaching these talks with their national interests in mind, and the United States will work to reconcile those interests in a manner that delivers lasting security for Israel and sovereignty and reconstruction for Lebanon,” Pigott stated.
The negotiations follow months of Hezbollah rocket and missile attacks on northern Israel and subsequent Israeli military operations in Lebanon. The talks would mark the first direct high-level negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in decades, after U.S.-brokered discussions in Washington last month paved the way for renewed diplomatic engagement.
