U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) speaks during a meeting with Lebanon's Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad (2R) and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter (2L) at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026.
Israel and Lebanon was set to hold a new round of talks in Washington on April 23, during which Beirut plans request a one-month extension of a ceasefire due to expire within days.
Israel stated ahead of the talks that it has no "serious disagreements" with Lebanon, calling on it to "work together" against the pro-Iran Hezbollah, which is notably absent from and opposed to the negotiations.
The two countries, officially at war for decades, held a meeting in Washington on April 14, the first of its kind since 1993, in an attempt to put an end to the more than six-week war between Hezbollah and Israel.
The United States announced a 10-day truce shortly after the first meeting, and it is due to expire on April 26.
As in the previous round, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will bring together Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad, in the presence of the US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa.
U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is now also expected to join the meeting, a State Department official told AFP.
In Washington, "Lebanon will request an extension of the truce for one month, an end of Israel's bombing and destruction in the areas where it is present, and a commitment to the ceasefire," a Lebanese official told AFP.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, for his part, said on April 22 that "contacts are underway to extend the ceasefire period.”
Following the first round of talks, Lebanon and Israel had agreed to begin direct negotiations with a view to lasting peace, at a date and place to be determined later.
Lebanon has appointed Simon Karam, a seasoned diplomat and former ambassador to the US, to lead its delegation in these negotiations.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on April 22 that Israel does not have any "serious disagreements" with Lebanon.
"The obstacle to peace and normalization between the countries is one, Hezbollah," Saar said.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed five people in Lebanon on April 22, as Israel continues to hit what it says are Hezbollah targets despite the ceasefire.
Lebanon's civil defense agency said an Israeli strike also killed journalist Amal Khalil.
