Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to conduct "historic" discussions, representing the first elevated diplomatic contact between the two neighbouring nations in more than 30 years.

Writing on Truth Social, the president indicated that the initiative is designed to mitigate deep-seated friction between the states. The diplomatic effort comes despite the persistent hostilities involving the Israeli Defence Forces and Hezbollah, and follows a ceasefire intended to stabilise West Asia.

"Trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon. It has been a long time since the two leaders have spoken, like 34 years. It will happen tomorrow. Nice!" the president’s post read.

A Shift Toward Diplomacy

The announcement marks a major pivot in a region frequently defined by escalating aggression and intermittent warfare. The upcoming summit follows a trilateral session hosted by the United States on Tuesday, which served as the first high-level interaction between Israeli and Lebanese officials since 1993.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of State, those preliminary talks focused on establishing a foundation for direct negotiations. All participants expressed a desire to pursue a formal ceasefire, security coordination, and a comprehensive framework for peace.

The Tuesday meeting was attended by high-ranking officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Counsellor Michael Needham, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A. Johnson. They were joined by the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, respectively.

The Framework for Peace

The United States characterised the meeting as a landmark achievement and endorsed the Lebanese government’s objective to reclaim a monopoly on the use of force while diminishing foreign interference. Washington expressed optimism that these discussions would surpass the limitations of the 2024 agreement to establish a definitive peace treaty.

The State Department reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defence against Hezbollah while insisting that any cessation of hostilities must be a government-to-government agreement mediated by the U.S. Officials noted that successful negotiations could catalyse substantial reconstruction funds and economic revitalisation for Lebanon.

National Objectives

Israel maintained its demand for the total disarmament of non-state actors and the removal of militant infrastructure within Lebanon. Israeli officials stated their commitment to long-term security cooperation and expressed readiness for direct talks to resolve all lingering disputes and foster regional prosperity.

Lebanon, meanwhile, stressed the immediate necessity for the comprehensive execution of the November 2024 cessation of hostilities. Lebanese representatives emphasised the importance of territorial integrity and state sovereignty, calling for an immediate end to the fighting and robust aid to address the dire humanitarian emergency resulting from the protracted conflict.

With inputs from ANI