U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday evening that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will hold talks on Thursday, a day after the first direct negotiations between the two sides in decades.
Trump said on his platform "Truth Social" that his country is "trying to find a period of rest between Israel and Lebanon," noting that the last contact between the leaders of the two countries took place about 34 years ago, without identifying the parties involved or providing additional details.
Sources following up with "Syrian News" indicated that the two leaders alluded to by US President Donald Trump are Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, although the latter is not considered to have a direct influence on political decision-making inside Israel. However, the occurrence of a contact of this level, if confirmed, would be considered a remarkable development that could constitute a sharp turn in the course of the Lebanese file and in the balances of the Middle East in general.
The sources also ruled out that the target was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Trump's remarks come in light of the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2, which, according to Lebanese authorities, have resulted in more than 2,100 deaths and the displacement of more than a million people.
Mixed Estimates on the Ceasefire
Despite Trump's announcement of de-escalation efforts, the Israel Hayom newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that a ceasefire in Lebanon "will not happen soon," and the Israel Broadcasting Corporation reported that the army had not received any political directives to prepare for a halt to operations.
The Financial Times reported that Lebanese officials expect a ceasefire "soon", and AFP quoted a senior US administration official as saying that Trump would welcome an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah, but made it clear that it "does not form part of peace negotiations with Iran".
He added that Washington is focused on "building trust between the Lebanese and Israeli governments" to create the conditions for a lasting peace agreement.
Direct talks in Washington
On Tuesday, April 13, 2026, direct talks lasted two and a half hours between the delegations of Lebanon and Israel, in which Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yahiel Leiter, Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamada Mouawad, and US Ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa participated, in conjunction with an Israeli military escalation on the ground, at a time when Lebanon is witnessing a sharp internal division over the negotiation track.
At the end of the talks, a joint Lebanese-Israeli statement was issued that all parties had agreed to launch direct negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv at a time and place to be agreed upon.
According to the statement, the United States reiterated its support for Israel's right to defend itself in the face of Hezbollah's ongoing attacks, stressing that any agreement to cease hostilities must be made exclusively between the two governments and mediated by the United States, and not through any separate track, noting that the success of these negotiations could provide broad opportunities for aid earmarked for Lebanon's reconstruction and enhance investment potential for both countries.
For its part, Israel affirmed its support for the disarmament of all groups classified as "terrorist" and non-state affiliates and the dismantling of their infrastructure inside Lebanon, declaring its readiness to work with the Lebanese government to achieve this goal in order to ensure the security of the two peoples, stressing its commitment to engage in direct negotiations to address outstanding issues and reach a lasting peace that promotes stability and prosperity in the region.
Lebanon, for its part, reiterated the need for the full implementation of the November 2024 Declaration of Cessation of Hostilities, adhering to the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and calling for a ceasefire and practical steps to address the worsening humanitarian crisis and mitigate the repercussions of the ongoing conflict
Key Issues in the Negotiations
Dismantling Hezbollah's weapons
Israel demands a swift and effective path to disarm the party, while Lebanon prefers to implement this gradually to avoid a direct and all-out confrontation with it, in light of Israeli doubts about the Lebanese army's ability to impose effective control south of the Litani.
Limits and Differences
There are 13 points of contention along the Blue Line, along with the Shebaa Farms file, with Israel refusing to negotiate them as Syrian territory.
Lebanon also demands Israel's withdrawal from the five control points it holds in southern Lebanon, while also highlighting an Israeli demand related to the amendment of a point in the maritime border that was previously agreed upon.
Post-war arrangements
These arrangements include the return of the IDPs, the majority of whom are from the Shia community, amid Israeli fears that some of them will continue to support Hezbollah, along with detainee files, reconstruction, and the expected role of the international community in consolidating any subsequent understandings.
On April 8, the United States and Iran announced a two-week truce, mediated by Pakistan, in preparation for reaching a final agreement to stop the war that Washington and Tel Aviv started on Tehran on February 28 and spread to Lebanon and left thousands dead and wounded.
Despite Islamabad and Tehran's assertion that the truce includes Lebanon, Washington and Tel Aviv denied this, and the Israeli occupation army launched strikes on Lebanon last Wednesday, described as the most violent since the start of the war, resulting in at least 357 dead and 1,223 wounded in the first days of the truce, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.