Israel-Lebanon direct talks in the US: All to know

The ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel joined United States-brokered talks in Washington, DC, with Lebanese authorities seeking to secure a ceasefire, while Israel’s goal is the disarmament of the Hezbollah armed group.

The talks, which the US has described as “open, direct, high-level”, represent the first such bilateral engagement between the two nations since 1993. However, the path to a breakthrough appears narrow, as Hezbollah has urged the Lebanese government to pull out of the talks, calling the efforts “futile”.
Qassem Naim, the Hezbollah leader, on Monday said the talks are a ploy to pressure the armed group, which is engaged in fighting with Israel, into laying down its weapons. The Iran-backed group attacked Israel in response to the US-Israel killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon, killing at least 2,080 people. It has refused a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of the truce agreement between the US and Iran.

Here is what you need to know about the high-level meeting and what’s on the agenda:
When and where did they meeting?
The negotiations took place on Tuesday at the US Department of State headquarters in Washington, DC. The meeting began at 11am Eastern Time (15:00 GMT).

Who participated, and what was the US role?
The key participants included:

Nada Hamadeh: Lebanese Ambassador to the US
Yechiel Leiter: Israeli Ambassador to the US
Marco Rubio: US Secretary of State, whose participation the State Department says highlights the “historic nature” of the meeting
Michel Issa: US Ambassador to Lebanon, acting as a facilitator
Michael Needham: State Department Counselor, also facilitating