The U.S. State Department is set to host a rare, high-level meeting between the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors on Tuesday, marking what officials describe as a historic step toward direct negotiations between the two countries—the second such effort since 1983.

The meeting, scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Beirut time in Washington, comes amid escalating tensions in southern Lebanon and is being held under U.S. auspices.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said his country is seeking "peace and normalization" with Lebanon. 

"We want to reach peace and normalization with the state of Lebanon... Israel and Lebanon don’t have any major disputes between them. The problem is Hezbollah," Saar said at a press conference on Tuesday.

A U.S. State Department official said the talks are “a direct result of Hezbollah’s reckless actions,” noting that they represent the first public, direct diplomatic engagement between the two governments at this level since 1993.

The official stressed that Israel is at war with Hezbollah, not Lebanon, adding that there is no reason the two neighboring states cannot engage in direct dialogue.

“The talks will address the existing framework for dialogue on how to ensure long-term security along Israel’s northern border and support the Lebanese government’s determination to restore full sovereignty over its territory and political life,” the official said.

However, sharp differences are expected to dominate the meeting. Lebanese officials insist that a ceasefire must precede further negotiations, while Israeli officials have signaled they will reject such a demand.

According to Israeli media reports, Israel’s ambassador in Washington has been instructed to oppose any ceasefire request during the talks, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu viewing the negotiations as an opportunity to gain time without halting military operations against Hezbollah. Sources cited by Haaretz said the ambassador would emphasize that the war aimed at disarming Hezbollah would continue.

The Israeli ambassador was also quoted as saying that preliminary discussions with Lebanese counterparts had been positive, adding that “if we set Hezbollah aside, we could reach an agreement within two to three months.”

Israeli diplomatic sources told Army Radio that Israel is seeking a “real peace agreement” with Lebanon rather than a limited normalization arrangement. They added that Tuesday’s meeting is intended to establish a general framework for negotiations, including timelines, while underscoring that no peace deal would be possible without Hezbollah’s disarmament.

On the Lebanese side, government sources told Al-Araby TV that the talks will focus on securing a ceasefire, with Beirut relying on U.S. and international pressure to compel Israel to halt its military campaign. The sources said Lebanon would insist on a full Israeli withdrawal from its territory in any future agreement.

They added that Simon Karam is expected to head Lebanon’s delegation once a negotiating framework is agreed upon.

Meanwhile, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, has been instructed by President Joseph Aoun to prioritize a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The report also indicated that Lebanon is expected to call for Israel’s withdrawal from areas it has occupied since the start of its ground offensive in early March.

The initial meeting is expected to be brief, lasting no more than ten minutes. However, observers anticipate a potentially tense diplomatic exchange centered on the question of an immediate ceasefire, rather than a simple return to the lower levels of violence that preceded the outbreak of hostilities in early March.