ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel and Lebanon held their first high-level direct peace talks in more than 30 years on Monday, with the United States, which mediated the meeting, describing the discussions as “productive.”
“The participants held productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon,” said Thomas Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department, in a statement on Tuesday.
“The United States expressed its hope that talks can exceed the scope of the 2024 agreement and bring about a comprehensive peace deal,” added the statement, noting that the Israeli delegation expressed its support for disarming “all non-state terror groups” and the Lebanese one reaffirming “the urgent need for the full implementation of the cessation of hostilities announcement of November 2024.