Israel is prepared to move toward a broader political process with Lebanon, but only on the condition that Hezbollah is fully dismantled, Israel’s ambassador to the United States said.

Speaking in interviews with Israel’s Channel 15 and Walla news, Yechiel Leiter said any expansion of negotiations beyond security arrangements would depend entirely on removing Hezbollah as an armed actor in Lebanon.

“Israel is prepared to engage in a broader political process with Lebanon on the condition that Hezbollah is dismantled,” Leiter said, describing the group as the central obstacle to any long-term diplomatic settlement.

His remarks come as U.S.-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel are expected to continue in Washington, where officials are discussing possible frameworks for de-escalation, border stability and longer-term political arrangements.

Leiter said Israel plans to present Beirut during the third round of talks with a framework aimed at gradually disarming Hezbollah while simultaneously expanding political ties between the two countries.

According to Leiter, Israel believes Hezbollah remains heavily armed despite repeated Lebanese government statements that southern Lebanon is being cleared of the group’s weapons.

“Since Hezbollah began attacking Israel in support of Iran in March, we have found 8,000 rockets, missiles and weapons in southern Lebanon,” he said. “There are tunnels, armaments and Hezbollah bases in southern Lebanon despite the declarations.”

“We came and said: this game is over,” he added. “We need to see, in practice, how the Lebanese government strengthens the Lebanese Army and acts concretely.”

Leiter said Israel envisions a gradual, area-by-area process carried out in coordination with Lebanese authorities.

“We will jointly define a specific area and plan with them how that area will be cleared, and afterward continue onward,” he said.

He described the negotiations as unfolding along two parallel tracks — one political and one security-related.

“We are now moving toward establishing the framework for two teams,” he said. “One team will deal with achieving peace — a peace treaty, full peace — as if Hezbollah does not exist, and another security track that operates as if the peace talks do not exist.”

Leiter added that Israel believes a broader diplomatic agreement with Lebanon could theoretically be reached within months if Hezbollah were dismantled.

“We are prepared for two tracks,” he said. “One track is to conduct negotiations for full peace as though Hezbollah does not exist — borders, embassies, visas, tourism, everything. An agreement like that could be reached within a few months. But it would be contingent on the success of the second track — dismantling Hezbollah.”

He said the current negotiations differ significantly from previous rounds, which largely focused on ceasefire arrangements and the timeline for Israeli military withdrawals.

“This is the first time the discussions are not focused on when the Israeli army will withdraw or when it will stop its military operations in Lebanon,” he said.

“Everyone today understands that our presence in Lebanon is because Hezbollah is there and because Hezbollah is armed,” he added.

Leiter also linked the Lebanese file to broader U.S.-Iran negotiations, saying Israel has urged Washington to ensure that any agreement with Tehran includes an end to Iranian support for regional proxy groups.

He said he told U.S. President Donald Trump and senior American officials during previous discussions that any deal with Iran “must include an end to its support for proxies.”

According to Leiter, Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh, also told Trump during the same meeting that “if the agreement with Iran does not include a total cessation of support for Hezbollah, there will be no future for Lebanon.”

Leiter said the current ceasefire in Lebanon, announced shortly after the first round of negotiations last month, remains fragile and incomplete.

“It is a ceasefire in aspiration,” he said. “But we will protect our soldiers and our civilians under all circumstances, and under no condition will we agree to stop and allow Hezbollah to rearm.”