In a historic diplomatic development, the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington held their first phone conversation on Friday evening, marking the first official contact between the two countries since 1983.
The Lebanese presidency announced that Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, spoke with Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador, at 9 p.m. Beirut time. Michel Issa, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, participated in the exchange, which was mediated by the State Department.
"On the basis of the initiative launched by President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun, which is focused on diplomatic efforts toward the announcement of a cease-fire and the start of direct negotiations with Israel, the U.S. administration has decided to task the State Department with playing a mediating role between Lebanon and Israel," the presidency said in a statement.
The two sides agreed to hold an initial meeting next Tuesday at the U.S. State Department headquarters "to discuss the announcement of a ceasefire and the date for launching negotiations between Lebanon and Israel under American auspices."
The diplomatic breakthrough comes after a day of deadly Israeli strikes on Beirut and across Lebanon, and follows statements from Tel Aviv and Washington indicating that Lebanon would not be involved in cease-fire negotiations with Tehran. By early Thursday evening, Israel reversed course and agreed to enter direct negotiations with Lebanon.
According to Firas Maksad, managing director for the Middle East and North Africa region at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, a cease-fire is a key Iranian demand for negotiations with the U.S. to continue. "Washington is quietly pressing Netanyahu to wind down operations against Hezbollah to keep the diplomatic track with Tehran on course," Maksad wrote on social media.
