The U.S. Department of State released a statement on Tuesday following a trilateral meeting on April 14, 2026, stressing that all sides agreed to continue direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue.
The meeting marked the first major high-level engagement between the governments of Israel and Lebanon since 1993, with the participation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Counselor Michael Needham, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Ambassador of Israel to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, and the Ambassador of Lebanon to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad.
The statement expressed hope that talks would exceed the scope of the 2024 agreement and bring about a “comprehensive peace deal,” echoing the language used by Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Leiter in a press conference shortly after talks concluded.
It also stressed that “these negotiations have the potential to unlock significant reconstruction assistance and economic recovery for Lebanon and expand investment opportunities for both countries.”
“Israel expressed its commitment to engage in direct negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues and achieve a durable peace that will strengthen security, stability and prosperity in the region,” the statement relayed, adding that the country expressed its commitment to working with the Government of Lebanon to achieve that goal to ensure security for the people of both countries.
The statement added that the Government of Lebanon plans to restore the monopoly of force and to end Iran's “overbearing influence.”
According to the statement, Lebanon reaffirmed the urgent need for the full implementation of the cessation of hostilities announcement of November 2024, underscoring the principles of territorial integrity and full state sovereignty, while calling for a ceasefire and concrete measures to address and alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis that the country continues to endure as a result of the ongoing conflict.
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