Lebanon, Israel Talk Peace in Washington

0:00On April 23rd, Lebanon and Israel kicked off their second round of direct talks in Washington today, focusing on extending a 10-day ceasefire with Hezbollah and mapping out bigger negotiations between the two long-time foes. These chats marked just the second time in three decades that diplomats from both sides have met face-to-face, a huge shift after decades of tension. Earlier this week, Lebanese President Joseph Awan confirmed ongoing efforts to stretch that truce, which started last Friday. Lebanon's ambassador is pushing to halt Israeli home demolitions in occupied border areas and lay groundwork for wider talks on stopping attacks, pulling back troops, freeing prisoners, and rebuilding. Meanwhile, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Tsar stressed disarming Hezbollah as the key to peace, calling it the main roadblock and labeling Lebanon a failed state under Iranian sway. He sees only minor border issues otherwise, but insists Hezbollah's rockets sparked the latest war after their March 2nd barrage into northern

1:01Israel. The conflict has been brutal, killing around 2,300 in Lebanon, including many women and children, and displacing over 1 million. People, Israel now holds a buffer zone up to 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon to neutralize short-range threats, but both sides have racked up ceasefire. Violation since it began. Hezbollah flat out rejects these talks, vowing not to follow any deals, yet Lebanon's leaders hope this opens doors to a lasting end to the fighting, paving the way for stability on both sides of the border. Stay informed with U.S. News Today, AI-powered updates.