US to host new Israel-Lebanon talks pressing Hezbollah disarmament
The United States will bring Israeli and Lebanese delegations to Washington this week. The Trump administration plans to put a phased Hezbollah disarmament and a redrawn border alignment on the agenda to make the ceasefire durable.
The talks come amid continued Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire and rising tensions after a senior Hezbollah commander was killed in Beirut. Lebanese officials say they have requested US guarantees that Israeli operations will stop.
The US team has drafted a proposal under which Hezbollah would surrender some medium- and long-range missiles and satellite-guided munitions in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal. Channels close to Tehran are sceptical of the plan, while Saudi Arabia is reportedly attending as an observer.
The talks coincide with the breakdown in negotiations over Hamas's disarmament. Regional diplomats argue that progress on the Lebanese track could unlock movement on the Gaza front.
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