Khaberni - The US State Department said on Tuesday that Washington expressed its hope that the Lebanese-Israeli talks would lead to a peace agreement.
The US State Department added that Israel affirms its commitment to work with Lebanon to disarm "terrorist" non-governmental groups and their infrastructure.
The State Department mentioned that Israel expressed its commitment to direct negotiations to resolve outstanding issues and achieve peace.
The department added that Washington expressed hope that the talks would go beyond the 2024 agreement.
The preliminary talks between the Lebanese and Israeli sides, which lasted about two hours at the US State Department, have concluded, according to the Lebanese news agency.
The meeting was attended by Lebanon's Ambassador to Washington Nada Mouawad, Israeli Ambassador Yahyaial Leiter, US Ambassador to Beirut Michael Issa, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Later, the Israeli ambassador to the United States told reporters that the Lebanese government clarified during the talks with Israel that it no longer wanted to be "occupied" by Hezbollah.
He added that there were discussions about a long-term vision for clearly demarcated borders.
Rubio called for seizing a "historic opportunity" to achieve lasting peace in Lebanon, with the start of the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades.
Upon receiving the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors at the State Department, Rubio said, "It is a historic opportunity. We recognize that we are facing decades of history and complexities that have brought us to this unique moment and the possibilities available to us."
He added, "It's about ending decades of Hezbollah's influence in this region," indicating that Tuesday's talks initiate "a path that will take time."
