Israel and Lebanon are set to begin rare direct talks in Washington, DC, at 11am local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a schedule released by the US State Department.
Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter will lead their respective delegations at the meeting, reports Al Jazeera.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to join the “working-level” discussions, the State Department confirmed.
The talks will centre on efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has carried out extensive air strikes and a ground offensive.
Discussions are also expected to address the disarmament of Hezbollah and the possibility of a broader peace arrangement.
Hezbollah has dismissed the planned negotiations as “futile” and has called on the Lebanese government to prioritise confronting Israeli “aggression”.
