New round of Israel-Lebanon talks begins in Washington

By AFP and ToI Staff 2 June 2026, 4:23 pm

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Yechiel Leiter (far L), Israeli Ambassador to the US, and Nada Hamadeh (far R), Lebanese ambassador to the US, attend a meeting hosted by the United States at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 2, 2026. Leading the US delegation are Deputy National Security Adviser Mike Needham (C), State Department Chief of Staff Daniel Holler (L of Needham), and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee (L of Holler). (Kent NISHIMURA / AFP)

The ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon have begun a new round of direct talks in Washington after US President Donald Trump said he had received commitments of de-escalation from both Jerusalem and Hezbollah.

The fourth meeting between representatives of the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations and have been in a state of war since 1948, is taking place at the State Department and is scheduled to last two days.