Washington: Israel-Lebanon talks “productive”.. disagreement over priorities deepens the gap

Lebanon-Israel negotiations third round: military representatives for first time.. and divergence in order of priorities

A US State Department official described the third round of direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon as “productive and positive,” following the conclusion of the first day of talks hosted by Washington, which saw the participation of military representatives for the first time. The official added: “We look forward to continuing this tomorrow and hope to have more to share then.”

Talks lasted 8 hours

The first day of the third round of negotiations concluded after eight hours of talks, with delegations set to meet again on Friday for further discussions.

This round of negotiations witnessed the first-ever participation of military representatives from both sides, and came shortly before the expiration of a three-week extension of the ongoing ceasefire agreement, announced by US President Donald Trump on April 23.

Rubio’s absence and continued US mediation

The Associated Press reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended the first round of negotiations in April, did not participate in Thursday’s sessions as he is accompanying President Trump on a visit to China.

The US mediation team includes US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Secretary of State advisor Michael Needham, and US Ambassador to Lebanon Michael Issa.

The Israeli delegation is headed by Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, accompanied by Head of the Strategy Division in the IDF General Staff Brigadier General Amichai Levin, a representative from the National Security Council, and the acting Israeli military attaché in Washington.

The Lebanese delegation consists of former Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Simon Karam, current Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, and the Lebanese military attaché in Washington.

Deeper framework for an agreement

An Israeli official had told the Jerusalem Post before the start of Thursday’s negotiations that the talks aim “to discuss a framework for an agreement in greater depth.”

The Associated Press reported that gaps remain wide between the two sides’ visions for the outcome of the negotiations. Israeli officials focus on Hezbollah’s disarmament and describe the talks as a prelude to potential normalization of diplomatic relations, while Lebanese officials say they seek a security agreement without normalization.

In statements reported by Reuters, quoting a senior Lebanese official on the eve of the talks, Beirut stressed that its primary demand is “a ceasefire by Israel,” and that the Lebanese delegation would enter negotiations with a single paper: a ceasefire before moving to any other discussion.

The official added that Lebanon cannot boycott the talks, whether to avoid embarrassment with the American side, which plays a supportive role, or to avoid providing excuses for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appears reluctant to engage in the talks.

In the same context, the Saudi newspaper Al-Hadath quoted American diplomatic sources as saying that the atmosphere in the third round is not optimistic, with no indications of a major breakthrough, noting that “Lebanon does not have much to offer regarding security issues.”

The same sources indicated that the American position appears close to “understanding” the Lebanese position without fully “sympathizing” with it, confirming that Lebanon is strongly pressuring Washington to secure a real ceasefire before the start of negotiations, but has not yet received responses.

This is the third round of direct talks between the two countries since the resumption of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, following two previous rounds held on April 14 and 23 at the level of the two countries’ ambassadors in Washington.

These talks coincide with ongoing cross-border exchanges of fire, with the Lebanese Ministry of Health announcing the death of 22 people in Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, May 13, including 8 children, while Hezbollah said it carried out 17 attacks on Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.

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Two-day US-mediated talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives begin at State Department, with peace ties and Hezbollah disarmament…https://t.co/xrpNgEisDX pic.twitter.com/CQR3rZ3qSD

— Ynet Global (@ynetnews) May 14, 2026