US hails Israel-Lebanon talks as ‘huge accomplishment’

The US on Tuesday described the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in more than 30 years as a “huge accomplishment.”

“What I've learned as a diplomat, sometimes just having the meeting…getting all sides in the room…is a huge first accomplishment,” US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said during his remarks at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

“I cannot understate what a big deal that was that happened today, that I think we have a tremendous opportunity in Lebanon,” he added.

Waltz did not directly answer a student’s question on whether a ceasefire in Lebanon or an Israeli withdrawal from the country’s south is imminent.

Instead, he responded with a question: “When will we see Hezbollah taken care of and disarmed once and for all?”

While declining to confirm details on follow-up meetings, Waltz said “signs are good,” suggesting momentum for continued diplomacy.

The meeting Tuesday at the State Department brought together Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, State Department Counsellor Michael Needham and Waltz.

The talks marked a rare direct engagement between the two sides, though Hezbollah was not represented.

The talks come as Israel continues attacks in southern Lebanon following a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2, despite a November 2024 ceasefire.

According to Lebanese health authorities, at least 2,089 people have since been killed and more than 1 million displaced since March.