Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting comes as Israel carries out a ground operation in southern Lebanon|Shmulik Almany (@yechielleiter)|X
Lebanon and Israel held their first diplomatic discussions in more than 30 years, a rare encounter focused on stopping the fighting with Hezbollah.
The meeting, mediated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, comes as Israel carries out a ground operation in southern Lebanon.
Officials said the goal of the meeting was to weaken Hezbollah, support Lebanon’s government, and improve control over the country. Both sides agreed to hold future peace talks at a time and place they will decide together.
Lebanon called for an immediate ceasefire and urgent help for people affected by the fighting, which has displaced more than 1 million civilians, according to the UN. Israel said it will continue military action against Hezbollah but is open to future security cooperation with Lebanon.
Hezbollah has stated it will not comply with any deals between Israel and Lebanon.