The US State Department announced that delegations from Israel and Lebanon met on Tuesday at the department’s headquarters for the fourth round of direct talks held under US auspices.

In a statement, the department said that “progress continues on both the political and security tracks, within the framework of overcoming the setbacks of the past twenty years and moving toward a comprehensive agreement aimed at restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring Israel’s security.”

A view of the fourth meeting in Washington (AFP).

The department reaffirmed that the United States remains fully committed to facilitating these “historic negotiations,” noting that a new round of talks is scheduled for Wednesday.

Earlier, a special source told Annahar’s correspondent in Washington that the fourth round of talks between Lebanon and Israel was positive and focused on the mechanism for implementing the ceasefire.

A Positive Atmosphere...

In this context, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said at the conclusion of the first day of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon that the atmosphere was positive and that resolving the ceasefire issue would require some time.

Asked about the possibility of reaching a comprehensive ceasefire, he replied: “That is what we are striving for.”

Leaks following the fourth round of indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Washington pointed to a positive atmosphere, amid growing discussion of a potential 60-day ceasefire agreement, while key issues remain unresolved regarding an Israeli withdrawal and post-truce arrangements.

The fourth round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel (AFP).

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations are “progressing well” and that there are “agreements” between the two sides, indicating that the administration of US President Donald Trump is pushing strongly to contain the escalation and prevent the conflict in Lebanon from expanding.

Israeli leaks suggested that Israel would refrain from targeting Beirut in the coming phase. However, it does not intend to withdraw from the areas it currently controls, a position that remains one of the main sticking points in the negotiations.

For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel and Lebanon “could reach a peace agreement on Wednesday,” describing Hezbollah as the main obstacle and pointing to the presence of elements within the Lebanese military establishment that Washington views negatively due to what he described as instances of cooperation with or facilitation for the party.