Washington, May 15: Israeli government officials have announced the commencement of the third round of peace talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Washington. According to the Xinhua news agency, discussions are expected to continue on Friday. However, it remains unclear if both parties are adequately prepared to make progress.
An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the talks are taking place at the U.S. State Department. Israel is represented by its ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, along with senior security officials. The Lebanese delegation includes their ambassador to the U.S., Nada Hamadeh Muaawad, and former Lebanese ambassador to the U.S., Simon Karam.
The talks aim to reach an agreement to disarm Hezbollah and establish official relations with Lebanon. Israel seeks to maintain the freedom to conduct air and ground operations against Hezbollah until an agreement is reached. In contrast, Lebanon demands the withdrawal of Israeli forces from its territory, a halt to Israeli attacks, and an end to the destruction of villages near the border.
This current phase of conflict began on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel. On April 24, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, calling it a ‘historic’ step and indicating the possibility of direct talks in Washington.
This development followed a meeting in the Oval Office, attended by senior officials from both countries, including Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. and Israel’s ambassador. The Israeli government press office reported that on April 26, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israel Defense Forces to strike Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
The Israeli Defense Forces have been regularly reporting airstrikes from Lebanon toward Israel. They also stated that several rocket launch sites have been destroyed and Hezbollah’s infrastructure has been targeted by the IDF and the Israeli Air Force.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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