Third round of Lebanon-Israel talks set for Washington amid ceasefire violations

Beirut, Lebanon – A new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place this Thursday and Friday in an effort to salvage a fragile ceasefire agreement – one that has been repeatedly disregarded by Israel and is due to expire on Saturday.

This will be the third direct meeting between Lebanese and Israeli delegations this year, following an initial gathering of the two countries' ambassadors in Washington on April 14 and a second round on April 23.

The process is deeply divisive within Lebanon, a country that does not recognize Israel. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam support direct negotiations, while Hezbollah and its allies, including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, favor indirect talks.

As the two sides prepare to meet, Israel has escalated attacks across Lebanon despite the declared ceasefire. On Wednesday, eight people, including two children, were killed when Israeli drones struck vehicles on a major highway connecting southern Lebanon to Beirut, and nine others died in airstrikes elsewhere. On Thursday, Israel continued its assaults and issued fresh evacuation orders for towns in the eastern Bekaa Valley and the south.

Here are the key facts about the controversial Lebanon-Israel talks:

Who is participating?

Several officials from previous rounds will attend the third session – including US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee – along with diplomatic and military representatives from both sides, according to Lebanese media.

The Lebanese delegation is led by Simon Karam, a diplomat appointed by President Aoun. Lebanon's US Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Deputy Chief of Mission Wissam Boutros, both present at earlier meetings, are likely to attend. A new addition is Lebanon's military attaché in Washington, General Oliver Hakme.

On the Israeli side, Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter will be joined by Brigadier General Amichai Levin, head of the Israeli military's Strategy Division, and Deputy National Security Council Adviser Yossi Draznin.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended the first two meetings but is currently in China with President Donald Trump on a visit to Beijing, will be replaced by adviser Michael Needham, State Department official Jay Mens, and US Ambassadors Mike Huckabee (Israel) and Michel Issa (Lebanon).

How does Lebanon view the talks?

The country is divided over the prospect of direct negotiations, even within the government.

“The president, prime minister, and parliament speaker – each from a different religious sect under Lebanon's confessional system – cannot agree on a framework, or even an end goal, for the talks,” wrote Lebanese journalist and analyst Souhayb Jawhar for the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.

The US has even proposed a direct meeting between President Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a move that risks inflaming tensions in Lebanon. Some analysts suggest that internal Lebanese discord could benefit Israel.

“No one benefits more from the breakdown of law and order and civil conflict than the Israelis,” Sami Halabi, policy director at Beirut-based research institute Badil, told Al Jazeera. “In that scenario, they have plenty of opportunities, from supporting various militias to turning these groups against Hezbollah in order to weaken them. For Israel, when the Lebanese state becomes weaker, or the nature of civil peace becomes fragmented, they have smaller pieces to deal with.”

How is Hezbollah responding?

Israeli attacks on Lebanon continue despite the ceasefire, and Hezbollah has retaliated.

According to the group's statements, most Hezbollah attacks target Israeli soldiers or vehicles on Lebanese soil, along with some military targets inside northern Israel that were previously invaded.

On Tuesday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem declared that his fighters “will respond to aggression and violations, and we will not return to the status quo before March 2,” when Israel attacked Lebanon and Hezbollah did not respond.

Qassem appeared to imply that Hezbollah accepts the Lebanese government negotiating on behalf of the country, stating that the group is “ready to cooperate” to achieve goals including halting Israeli attacks, withdrawing Israeli forces from occupied territories, deploying the Lebanese army to the south, returning Lebanese prisoners held in Israel, allowing southerners to return home, and rebuilding the devastated south after years of Israeli airstrikes.

However, Qassem stressed that Hezbollah remains opposed to direct talks and prefers indirect negotiations.

What will be discussed?

Lebanon's strategy so far appears to be calling on Washington to pressure Israel into enforcing the ceasefire. Lebanese officials, particularly President Aoun, say they want the ceasefire implemented before further negotiations.

While Israeli officials hint at potential long-term peace deals, Aoun and his side insist they will not seek normalization, instead citing the 1949 armistice agreement – intended to end hostilities between the two sides – as a viable framework for de-escalation.

Beirut is expected to outline the damage Lebanon has suffered from Israeli attacks since the 2024 ceasefire and present detailed maps of homes destroyed or leveled by Israel during this period.

Yet most analysts acknowledge that Lebanon has very little leverage in the talks.

Israel is expected to reject the ceasefire proposal and wants to continue striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, resulting in four children killed or injured every day since another ceasefire was declared on April 16.

Israel also wants to disarm Hezbollah, while some Israeli officials have called for annexing southern Lebanon. Other officials aim to turn southern Lebanon into an uninhabitable buffer zone.

Analysts say Israel is ultimately trying to use its power and influence to force Lebanon to submit to Israel's regional aims and interests.

While the Lebanese government is said to want Hezbollah's weapons under state control, Israel claims the two sides share a common view on disarming the movement.

Although the Lebanese government regularly criticizes Israel's ceasefire violations and occupation of territory, it is also criticized by many Lebanese for participating in direct talks with Israel and focusing on disarming Hezbollah, which they argue promotes Israeli and US interests.

Is any other party involved?

Despite efforts by countries such as France and Egypt, the US will be the sole mediator in these talks.

France was part of the “mechanism” overseeing the 2024 ceasefire, but diplomatic sources say Paris has little power to enforce the agreement, which is managed by Washington.

Many analysts doubt the US will act as a neutral mediator, given Washington's historical tendency to prioritize Israeli interests over other regional parties, including Beirut.

Ahead of the talks, Saudi Arabia has also played a significant role. Riyadh appears to be forming a new regional axis to counter Israeli hegemony, growing increasingly aware of Israel's expansionist motives.

Riyadh has tried to resolve government disputes between Aoun and Salam with Berri so that Lebanon can enter negotiations with Israel on a united front. Saudi Arabia is also believed to be working to defuse internal Lebanese tensions arising from opposition to the talks, which could further weaken Beirut's position in the negotiations.