Lebanese, Israeli Envoys to Hold Rare Direct Talks

Lebanese and Israeli envoys are set to hold rare direct talks in Washington on Tuesday, marking the first face-to-face negotiations between the two nations in decades, even as Hezbollah vows not to honor any resulting agreements.

The meeting, mediated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will involve the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States along with the U.S. ambassador to Beirut. A State Department official described the discussions as aimed at ensuring long-term security along Israel's northern border and supporting Lebanon's efforts to reclaim sovereignty over its territory. The talks come amid an escalating conflict that has drawn Lebanon into a broader regional war, with Israeli forces conducting ground operations in southern Lebanon and airstrikes across the country.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group battling Israeli troops, has firmly opposed the negotiations. Naim Qassem, the group's deputy leader, called the talks "futile" in a televised address and urged Lebanon's government to cancel them. Wafiq Safa, a senior Hezbollah official, told reporters that the group is "not bound by what they agree to," emphasizing its independence from state...