Ankara: Lebanon and Israel have reached an agreement to convene their first meeting on Tuesday at the US State Department in Washington, with the objective of securing a ceasefire and initiating direct talks, as announced by the Lebanese presidency on Friday evening.

According to Anadolu Agency, this development is part of an initiative led by President Joseph Aoun. The Lebanese presidency released a statement on the US social media platform X, highlighting that this meeting is a significant step forward in the peace process between the two nations. The initiative involved Lebanon’s Ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, engaging in a phone conversation with Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter. This interaction marks the first official contact between the two parties.

Additionally, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, who is currently in Washington, participated in the call. During their discussion, the parties agreed to conduct the first meeting at the US State Department headquarters next Tuesday. The agenda will focus on announcing a ceasefire and determining the timeline for the commencement of negotiations, all under the auspices of the United States.