Israel refused to withdraw from Lebanese territories it occupied during its recent war with Hezbollah before eliminating the military capabilities of the Iran-backed group and securing its northern borders.

Israel’s position came during the third round of direct negotiations with Lebanon held in Washington, D.C. on Thursday and hosted by the US State Department represented by senior adviser Mike Needham and the US ambassadors to Lebanon, Michel Issa, and to Israel, Mike Huckabee.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not participate because he was accompanying President Donald Trump in China.

The Lebanese delegation is led by Presidential Special Envoy Simon Karam accompanied by Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad, deputy ambassador Wissam Boutros, and military attaché in Washington, Brig. Gen. Oliver Hakmeh.

The participants from Israel included Deputy National Security Adviser Yossi Draznin, National Security Council Deputy Director for Foreign Policy Uri Resnick, and ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter.

Ceasefire extension

Negotiators in Washington discussed extending the current Israel-Lebanon ceasefire beyond next Sunday’s deadline.

Lebanese officials emphasized the need for full compliance by both Israel and Hezbollah, while Israel argued its military actions are necessary to counter threats from the Iran-backed group.

US mediators continue to support Israel’s right to self-defense under the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and are expected to decide soon on extending the truce.

The Israeli ambassador

Leiter said in remarks to the press from the Israeli embassy in Washington that Israel’s presence in Lebanon is tied to the continued existence of Hezbollah. He said the party is heavily armed with intent on attacking Israeli communities with rockets. He stressed that Israel would no longer allow such threats.

He explained that the current focus is on reaching a peace treaty as if “there were no Hezbollah” and fighting the group as if there were no peace treaty. “I believe we will achieve both”, he stated

Lebanese silence

Leiter said ahead of the latest negotiations that no diplomatic progress or peace agreement with Lebanon would be possible unless Hezbollah is dismantled militarily. He added that a shared interest in freeing Lebanon from Hezbollah would ultimately prevail.

The Israeli ambassador said that Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon, but it also has no immediate plan to withdraw from its territories. He expressed cautious optimism about peace prospects, claiming shifting Lebanese public opinion ,including among Shiites, against Hezbollah.

However, he acknowledged that achieving progress would be difficult due to decades of entrenched dynamics and Lebanese hesitation despite alleged shared interest in reducing Hezbollah’s influence.