Lebanon’s prime minister urged the Trump administration to pressure Israel to end its military invasion as direct talks resumed in Washington on Thursday.
Nawaf Salam said Lebanon is seeking U.S. leverage to scale back Israeli demands and halt the ongoing incursion into southern Lebanon, according to an interview with The Washington Post published Wednesday.
The talks, hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, mark the second round of rare direct negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took hold in mid-April.
An Israeli official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the delegation includes U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, State Department Counselor Michael Needham, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh.
A State Department spokesperson described the initial April 14 meeting as productive and said the U.S. will continue facilitating good-faith discussions between the two governments.
The ceasefire, while holding for now, has not resolved the underlying conflict that erupted on March 2 when Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel’s northern border.
Israel responded with sustained air and ground operations across southern Lebanon aimed at pushing Hezbollah forces away from the frontier, while Hezbollah continued firing rockets and drones into northern Israel.
The fighting displaced more than a million people in Lebanon and forced Israeli civilians into shelters, underscoring the scale of the escalation that followed U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Even as guns have fallen silent, the core conditions that triggered the war remain unchanged, leaving negotiators to confront the same impasse that has derailed every prior attempt at a lasting deal.
A senior U.S. official familiar with the talks summarized the central dilemma: Hezbollah will not agree to disarm without a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while Israel will not withdraw without Hezbollah disarming.
International mechanisms, including the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and a multilateral coordination group, have worked to bridge that gap since late 2024 without success.
Lebanon seeks U.S. intervention to counter Israeli military pressure
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s appeal to the Trump administration reflects Beirut’s strategy of leveraging American influence to offset Israel’s battlefield advances and security demands.
Lebanon frames Israel’s continued presence in southern Lebanon as an invasion that must end before any meaningful concessions on Hezbollah’s arsenal can be considered.
The appeal comes as Israeli officials maintain that security guarantees against Hezbollah rearmament are non-negotiable preconditions for withdrawal.
Hezbollah’s disarmament remains the core obstacle to lasting peace
Despite the ceasefire holding, the fundamental exchange — disarmament for withdrawal — has not shifted since negotiations began under international auspices in late 2024.
Hezbollah’s insistence on linking its disarmament to a full Israeli exit mirrors its longstanding position that its weapons are a deterrent against Israeli aggression.
Israel, conversely, views Hezbollah’s arsenal as an irreducible threat that must be eliminated before it considers ceding territory or ending military operations.
U.S. mediation faces structural limits in breaking the deadlock
The State Department’s role as facilitator has not altered the zero-sum calculus that has stalled talks for over a year, despite repeated assurances of productive engagement.
UNIFIL and the multilateral coordination group, active since late 2024, have failed to devise a verification or sequencing mechanism acceptable to both sides.
Without a breakthrough in sequencing — whether disarmament precedes withdrawal, occurs simultaneously, or follows phased Israeli steps — the ceasefire remains vulnerable to renewed escalation.
Why is Lebanon asking the Trump administration to pressure Israel?
Lebanon believes U.S. influence can compel Israel to scale back its demands and end its military invasion of southern Lebanon, which Beirut views as a prerequisite for any discussion on Hezbollah’s disarmament.
What is the main obstacle preventing a lasting Israel-Lebanon deal?
The core dilemma is that Hezbollah will not disarm without a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while Israel will not withdraw without Hezbollah giving up its arms.
How long has the current U.S.-brokered ceasefire been in place?
The fragile ceasefire was reached in mid-April 2026 and is holding for now, though it has not resolved the underlying conflict that began in early March.
What role are international actors playing in the negotiations?
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and a multilateral coordination group have been working since late 2024 to bridge the disarmament-withdrawal gap, but have not succeeded in finding a mutually acceptable solution.
