Third Round of Israel-Lebanon Talks to Include Military Officials for First Time

The third round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will open in Washington on Thursday. -Gen. Amichai Levin will be among those taking part. The inclusion of military officials marks a change from the format of the first two rounds, which were limited to diplomats.

The talks are mediated by the United States. They come after a meeting in April that included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israel Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter.

The addition of military voices is expected to allow both sides to address security arrangements directly. Officials have not publicly detailed the agenda, but the discussions are understood to focus on steps toward a lasting ceasefire. Previous rounds produced limited public statements.

The decision to include military representatives suggests both countries see value in technical-level exchanges on border security and disarmament issues. The talks occur against the backdrop of a fragile truce that ended active fighting between Israel and Hezbollah last year.

Neither side has declared the ceasefire fully implemented, and violations have been reported by both. No date has been set for a fourth round, and officials have not indicated whether the current talks are expected to produce a formal agreement.