In a historic diplomatic breakthrough, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to enter into direct peace negotiations, following a landmark meeting between their ambassadors in Washington.
Yechiel Leiter (L), Marco Rubio, Michel Issa and Nada Hamadeh Moawad on Tuesday at the State Department © X
In a historic diplomatic breakthrough, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to enter into direct peace negotiations, following a landmark meeting between their ambassadors in Washington.
The talks, held under the mediation of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saw Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad engage in what the Lebanese envoy described as a "constructive preparatory meeting."
The date and venue for formal negotiations remain to be agreed upon, according to American diplomats.
Ambassador Leiter struck a notably optimistic tone: "We discovered today that we are on the same side. We are both united in our desire to free Lebanon" from the grip of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement. Ambassador Moawad, for her part, called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The backdrop to these talks is one of devastation. Lebanon was drawn into the broader Middle East conflict earlier this year when Hezbollah launched strikes against Israel in support of Iran, prompting a swift Israeli military operation on Lebanese soil. The human and economic toll has been severe, making the prospect of a negotiated peace all the more urgent.
One of the most telling aspects of Tuesday's meeting was Israel's explicit rejection of any French involvement in the peace process. The move raised few eyebrows among seasoned observers of Middle Eastern diplomacy.
Macron shut out: How France lost its voice in the Middle East
President Emmanuel Macron's handling of the Lebanon file has been, at best, inconsistent, and at worst, deeply counterproductive.
His administration has oscillated between tacit indulgence toward Hezbollah, a conciliatory posture toward the Iranian regime, and vague rhetorical support for Lebanese sovereignty that has convinced no one. Israel, unsurprisingly, has little appetite for a mediator it neither trusts nor respects.
Macron's credibility on the Lebanese dossier - and on several others across the region - has been seriously eroded. Washington, not Paris, is now firmly in the driver's seat.
The road ahead remains long and uncertain. Deep mistrust, unresolved security concerns and the ever-present shadow of Hezbollah will test the resilience of any negotiating framework. But for the first time in a generation, Israeli and Lebanese diplomats sat across from each other with a shared purpose.
That, in itself, is no small thing.
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