Lebanon-Israel talks to resume next week in Washington

The United States is set to host the next round of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington from June 23-25, the U.S. State Department announced Friday. This development follows a call between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

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remains fully committed to an immediate ceasefire

During their conversation, Secretary Rubio emphasized the necessity of disarming Hezbollah. He also reaffirmed U.S. support for the Lebanese government's efforts to establish a fully sovereign Lebanese state that maintains peaceful relations with its neighbors. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed these points in a statement.

Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, took to X (formerly Twitter) to state Israel's "full commitment to an immediate ceasefire." Leiter also directly refuted claims made by Hezbollah regarding Israeli ceasefire violations, labeling them as "bold lies." He asserted that if Hezbollah adheres to the agreement and ceases hostilities, Israel will respond with "quiet."

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bold lies

Leiter further explained Israel's continued presence in the "security zone in southern Lebanon," stating the objective is to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and ensure Israeli security. He expressed a belief that "The people of Lebanon deserve a future free from Hezbollah's grip, and a real, genuine peace between our two countries remains possible."

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If Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases its hostilities, they will be met with quiet.

Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin, IDF Spokesperson, issued a statement affirming the IDF's commitment to countering Hezbollah's ceasefire violations and taking "whatever is necessary to protect our civilians." The IDF's mission, Defrin stated, remains focused on preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding and posing a threat to Israeli civilians.

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The people of Lebanon deserve a future free from Hezbollah's grip, and a real, genuine peace between our two countries remains possible.