Israel, Lebanon “On Same Side” Against Hezbollah After Talks

The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington met Tuesday, in the highest-level engagement between the two countries in over three decades, emerging with a rare message of alignment against Hezbollah.

“We discovered today that we’re on the same side of the equation,” Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said after the meeting at the State Department.

The meeting, brokered by the United States, marked the first direct senior-level contact between Israel and Lebanon since 1993 and signaled a potential shift in regional dynamics. Officials framed the talks as the beginning of a broader effort to launch direct negotiations between the two countries and explore a long-term framework for stability.

Participants in the meeting included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh. According to a joint understanding outlined after the talks, the sides discussed steps toward initiating direct negotiations, with a focus on security arrangements, restoring Lebanese state control, and opening the door to economic reconstruction and investment.

Leiter emphasized that both governments share a common objective regarding Hezbollah, which Israel and the United States view as an Iran-backed terrorist organization. “We are both united in liberating Lebanon from Hezbollah,” he said, describing the talks as the start of a sustained effort to counter the group’s influence.

Rubio cautioned that the diplomatic effort is expected to take time. “This is a process, not an event,” he said, outlining the goal of establishing a framework for a lasting agreement that would allow both countries to move toward stability and prosperity while addressing decades of conflict.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also signaled support for the diplomatic track, expressing hope that the meeting “will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people,” particularly in the country’s south. He reiterated the position that the Lebanese army should become the sole authority responsible for security, reflecting ongoing efforts by the government to reassert sovereignty.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group that operates independently of the Lebanese government and opposes any normalization with Israel, rejected the talks outright, underscoring the internal divide within Lebanon. “We reject the very idea of negotiations… Lebanon made a flawed step,” a source in the group told Lebanese media, adding that the organization does not accept direct talks under any circumstances.

Even as the meeting took place, fighting continued on the ground. Sirens sounded across northern Israel as Hezbollah launched rockets toward the Galilee, with the IDF warning that attacks could intensify in the hours following the talks.

No date has yet been set for a follow-up meeting, but officials said both sides would return to their respective capitals to review proposals discussed in Washington. Leiter indicated that further talks are expected in the coming weeks, with the aim of advancing both security arrangements and civilian cooperation.

While significant gaps remain, the meeting introduced a rare moment of alignment between Israel and Lebanon’s governments, even as Hezbollah’s opposition and ongoing hostilities continue to challenge any path forward.