Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter praised Lebanese leaders following the first direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in 43 years at the US State Department yesterday (Monday).
"We have the courage to pursue peace through strength, and to work tirelessly for tranquility and prosperity for all," Leiter said. "At the negotiations table, I commended President Joseph Aoun and his government for not allowing itself to be held hostage to the threats of Hezbollah’s leader."
"Naim Qassem and Hezbollah belong to the past; we are here for the future," Leiter added. "Above all, safeguarding the security of Israeli citizens along the northern border remains our supreme objective and top priority."
Earlier, it was reported that the Lebanese-Israeli talks under US auspices have resulted in agreement on a framework that falls short of a formal ceasefire but is expected to pave the way for negotiations aimed at disarming Hezbollah and advancing toward bilateral peace.
According to a report by Lebanese newspaper Annahar, the meeting between Lebanese and Israeli representatives, held with US mediation, opened the door to discussions that could eventually develop into peace negotiations. The reported framework seeks to address shortcomings of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, which did not achieve its primary objective of disarming Hezbollah and failed to ease the impact of ongoing Israeli military activity on Lebanese civilians.