WASHINGTON/BEIRUT/JERUSALEM: Lebanon will demand Israel cease fire at face-to-face talks that began in Washington on Thursday, a senior Lebanese official said, as Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel continued to trade blows despite a US-backed truce declared last month.
A State Department official confirmed that a meeting of Lebanese and Israeli envoys, along with US officials, had started at about 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT).
The talks, which are expected to continue on Friday, are the sides’ third meeting since hostilities reignited between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2. Beirut is attending despite strong objections from Shiite Muslim Hezbollah.
An Israeli government spokesperson said the talks were taking place with the goal of disarming Hezbollah and reaching a peace agreement.
Fought in parallel to the US-Iran conflict, the Hezbollah-Israel war has rumbled on since US President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire on April 16 — though hostilities have largely been contained to southern Lebanon since then.
