US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Israel and Lebanon are capable of reaching a peace treaty within days, identifying Hezbollah as the only obstacle to an agreement. His remarks came as delegations from both nations began a fourth round of diplomatic talks in Washington, DC.
Rubio's Testimony Before Senate Committee
Testifying before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Rubio emphasized that the neighboring countries share no fundamental border disputes. "Israel and Lebanon can do a peace deal tomorrow," he told lawmakers. "Israel has no territorial claims in Lebanon. Hezbollah is the impediment. There is no Hezbollah without Iran."
Rubio explained that the United States, acting as mediator, is working to keep the Israeli-Lebanese dialogue separate from any concurrent diplomatic tracks with Iran—a strategy that Tehran has strongly resisted.
Ongoing Diplomatic Talks Amid Hostilities
The latest round of face-to-face negotiations convened at the US State Department, bringing together high-level diplomats from both countries even as active cross-border hostilities persist. The talks are scheduled to continue over two days.
Leading the respective delegations are Israel's ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon's representative to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad. Daniel Holler, a senior adviser to Rubio, is also participating in the sessions. The envoys refrained from making public statements as the current round began.
Military Exchanges Continue
The diplomatic engagement unfolds against a backdrop of uninterrupted military exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. This comes just after US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that a consensus had been reached to suspend the violence.
Israeli authorities stated that their military operations would continue to strike Hezbollah positions across the southern suburbs of Beirut if the Iran-aligned group persists in launching rocket attacks against communities in northern Israel. The border region has witnessed a dramatic surge in combat in recent days, with Israeli ground forces pushing deeper into Lebanese territory than at any point in nearly 20 years.
Casualties Reported in Tyre
Meanwhile, the Lebanese health ministry reported that Israeli bombardments near a medical facility in the southern coastal city of Tyre on Monday resulted in four deaths and 127 injuries, including 39 hospital staff members.
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