Lebanon and Israel begin new peace talks in Washington today, as the latest ceasefire nears its end.

On the eve of the talks, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that 22 people, including eight children, were killed on Wednesday as Israel intensified its airstrikes.

The last meeting between the two countries was held on April 23 at the White House, where Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire and expressed optimism about reaching a historic agreement.

At the time, Donald Trump predicted that during the ceasefire period, he would host Benjamin Netanyahu and Joseph Aoun in Washington for the first historic summit between the two sides. The summit did not take place, and Aoun stated that a security agreement must first be reached and Israeli attacks must end before such a symbolic meeting can be held.

The ceasefire has been extended until Sunday. Since it took effect on April 17, Israel’s raids have killed more than 400 people, and Israel has vowed to continue its attacks against Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to fire rockets into Israel, while Israel continues to bombard several areas in Lebanon and has launched a ground invasion in the south.

This will be the third round of talks between the two sides, which do not have diplomatic relations.

Among the American mediators attending the two-day meeting at the United States Department of State are the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors, respectively: Mike Huckabee, an Evangelical pastor and strong supporter of Israel’s regional ambitions; Michel Issa, a Lebanese-born businessman and golf partner of Donald Trump; and Mike Needham, a close aide to Marco Rubio.

Lebanon is represented by special envoy Simon Karam, a seasoned lawyer and diplomat known for fiercely defending Lebanon’s sovereignty, along with its ambassador in Washington.

The Israeli delegation includes its ambassador in Washington, Yechiel Leiter, a close ally of Benjamin Netanyahu with strong ties to the Israeli settler movement in the occupied West Bank.