Latest Developments

Talks Held in D.C.: Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted talks between delegations from Israel and Lebanon in Washington on April 14 — the first time the two countries had engaged in direct negotiations in decades. Israel insists that it wants to see the Lebanese government take concrete steps toward disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization, while Beirut emphasized its demand for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
‘This Will Take Time,’ Says Rubio: Rubio stated that the talks “are a process, not an event,” adding: “This will take time, but we believe it is worth this endeavor, and it’s a historic gathering that we hope to build on.” Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that he hoped the meeting would “mark the beginning of ending the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and the southerners in particular.”
IDF Operations in Lebanon Continue: Israel’s campaign in Lebanon continued on April 14, with the IDF announcing that it had “surrounded the area and begun operating in Bint Jbeil,” a Hezbollah stronghold. “The troops eliminated more than 100 terrorists from the Hezbollah terror organization in close-quarters combat and from the air, destroyed dozens of terrorist infrastructures, and located hundreds of weapons in the area,” the IDF said.

FDD Expert Response

“The Washington meeting between Israeli and Lebanese representatives is the first step in what Secretary Rubio correctly called a ‘process, not an event.’ That process involves disarming Hezbollah, restoring Lebanese sovereignty, and creating the possibility of a different future between Israel and Lebanon. But this remains difficult because Hezbollah is not simply a Lebanese militia. It is Iran’s most powerful foreign terror proxy and is armed, funded, and directed by Tehran to dominate Lebanon and threaten Israel. As long as Hezbollah remains Tehran’s gun pointed at both Beirut and Jerusalem, progress will be fragile and uneven. But with support from the Trump administration, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and President Aoun, who made clear that only the Lebanese army should bear arms in his country, there is, for the first time in years, a chance to begin pulling Lebanon out of Iran’s grip.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“For the first time in decades, Washington recognizes the Lebanese government as a sovereign entity that speaks for Lebanon and decides its affairs. Prior to today, whenever Washington wanted something done in Lebanon, it usually talked to Damascus, Tehran, Doha, or Riyadh. Now that the Lebanese are entrusted with their own fate, they must also live up to the responsibility. The Lebanese state will have to deliver on the promises it made, principally to disarm Hezbollah and to sign a peace agreement with Israel.” — Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Research Fellow

“However noble their objectives, Israel and the United States must be clear-eyed that Lebanon has come to the table seeking a return to the status quo ante — which, whatever Beirut’s intentions, will create the conditions for Hezbollah’s regeneration. The symbolism of today’s meeting is significant, but it must also not be overstated. Photo ops, however rare or exciting, are no substitute for concrete Lebanese action against Hezbollah — and that remains conspicuously absent.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow