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Thursday, April 9, 2026
Israeli official: No ceasefire ahead of Lebanon talks; Leiter to lead delegation
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
There will be no ceasefire with Hezbollah ahead of talks with Lebanon, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
The talks will begin “in the coming days,” says the official, without giving any more specifics. According to Axios, the first meeting will take place next week in Washington, DC, at the State Department.
According to the outlet, US President Donald Trump’s Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa will lead the American delegation, while Lebanon’s Ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh-Moawad will lead the Lebanese side.
Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter will lead the Israeli delegation, a second Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
According to the Ma’ariv newspaper, former minister Ron Dermer — who was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s preferred envoy for high-stakes talks before stepping down in November — will not be leading talks because of fundamental disagreements with top officials. Dermer had returned to handle some files for Netanyahu in recent weeks, including Lebanon, but had advocated for including the fight against Hezbollah in the ceasefire with Iran, which Netanyahu firmly opposed.
The Times of Israel Community.