Lebanon and Israel held a virtual meeting and scheduled their first meeting to discuss a ceasefire

A column of smoke rises after an Israeli missile hits a building in Tyre, in southern Lebanon, on April 8, 2026. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi Lebanon and Israel made their first contact through a telephone call between their ambassadors in Washington this Friday (10), the Lebanese presidency said. The meeting was attended by the US ambassador to Lebanon. The call is part of diplomatic efforts to guarantee a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah and begin negotiations, according to a statement released by the Lebanese presidency. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp ➡️Context: Lebanon has been the target of constant Israeli attacks since the first days of the war between Iran, the USA and Israel, which began on February 28. Israel claims to be targeting the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, an ally of Iran that operates in the country and has launched attacks on Israeli territory. The actions plunged Lebanon into a humanitarian crisis. The body also reported that the two parties agreed to hold a first meeting on Tuesday (14) at the US Department of State, under American mediation. The objective is to discuss the announcement of a ceasefire and define the start date of negotiations. See the videos that are trending on g1 The confirmation comes one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he had instructed his government to begin peace negotiations with Lebanon “as quickly as possible.” The previous truce agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, concluded in November 2024, also occurred through Washington. That agreement was broken in March this year, in the first days of the war between the US, Israel and Iran. Amid talks of a possible ceasefire, Israel is preparing to reduce the intensity of its attacks in Lebanon in the coming days, a senior Israeli official told Reuters on Thursday. Even so, the Israeli Army said this Friday that “the operation in Lebanon continues”, in reference to the war against Hezbollah. Lebanon’s inclusion is the biggest impasse in the ceasefire in the war in the Middle East The government of Lebanon has spent the last few days advocating that it be included in the ceasefire in the war between the US, Israel and Iran to allow for broader negotiations, according to a senior official interviewed by Reuters. The movement became more intense after Israel’s “largest and most lethal” bombing of Lebanese territory since the resumption of the war against Hezbollah. The inclusion of Lebanon is the biggest impasse in the ceasefire in the war in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the conflict in Lebanon does not apply to the agreement, and was defended by US President Donald Trump. Mediator Pakistan, however, explicitly said that Lebanon is included in the truce. Iran, in turn, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and closed the Strait of Hormuz again because of this, in addition to saying that the country “will pay dearly” and will be “punished” if it continues with the attacks.

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