US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate in direct talks between Israel and Lebanon scheduled for Tuesday, a State Department official said on Monday night, according to CNN.
The US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and State Department counselor Michael Needham will also be part of the US delegation for the negotiations, which will be held at the US State Department.
The Israeli and Lebanese delegations will be led by their ambassadors, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh, respectively.
“This conversation will scope the ongoing dialogue about how to ensure the long-term security of Israel’s northern border and to support the Government of Lebanon’s determination to reclaim full sovereignty over its territory and political life,” the State Department official said. “Israel is at war with Hezbollah, not Lebanon, so there is no reason the two neighbors should not be talking.”
The talks mark a significant step as Israel continues its conflict with the Hezbollah terror group while seeking to establish lasting security arrangements along its northern frontier with Lebanon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last Thursday that he has instructed the cabinet to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.
According to the Prime Minister, the decision follows repeated requests from Lebanon for direct talks.
Netanyahu noted that the negotiations would focus on disarming Hezbollah and on establishing peace relations between the two countries. He further stated that Israel appreciates the Lebanese Prime Minister’s call to demilitarize Beirut.
Netanyahu later released a statement in which he clarified, “There is no ceasefire in Lebanon. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force, and we will not stop until we restore your security.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Leiter and Hamadeh held a phone call this past Friday in order to finalize the terms of the talks.
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