Rubio to take part in Israel-Lebanon talks on Tuesday

Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, will be among those taking part in talks between Israel and Lebanon in Washington on Tuesday, the State Department has confirmed. 

Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the US, and Nada Hamadeh, the Lebanese Ambassador to the US, will attend the meeting, due to begin around 11am ET time (4pm UK time). 

A State Department official said: 

“As a direct result of Hizballah’s reckless actions, the Israeli and Lebanese governments are engaging in open, direct, high-level diplomatic talks – the first such talks since 1993-brokered by the United States. This conversation will scope the ongoing dialogue about how to ensure the long-term security of Israel’s northern border and to support the Government of Lebanon’s determination to reclaim full sovereignty over its territory and political life. Israel is at war with Hizballah, not Lebanon, so there is no reason the two neighbors should not be talking.”

On Monday, Hezbollah’s secretary general Naim Qassem said the Iran-backed group “absolutely rejects” the talks, saying they amount to “submission, surrender, and stripping Lebanon of its strength”. 

Qassem added: “The opportunity is still there. We call for a historic and heroic position to cancel these negotiations.”