Lebanese and Israeli military delegations will hold unprecedented, direct talks at the Pentagon on Friday as the US reportedly seeks to establish a new security framework between the two countries and eventually a lasting peace deal.
Lebanese and US military delegations met on Thursday ahead of the talks at the headquarters of the US Department of Defence, sources told The New Arab .
Washington is facilitating negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv, which are taking place through parallel political and security tracks. Preparatory meetings began in April, and the first round of full diplomatic talks kicked off earlier this month.
The next round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli diplomats will take place on 2 and 3 June.
Asked for comment on Friday, the Pentagon referred TNA to a US State Department statement issued on 15 May, which accused Hezbollah of attempting to derail the diplomatic process through "continued attacks on Israel carried out without the approval of the Lebanese government."
It added: "The United States welcomes the commitment of both governments to finding a long-term solution despite these ongoing challenges. The United States will continue to support both countries as they move forward on these two [political and security] tracks."
Beirut insists on continuing with diplomacy despite Israel's ongoing offensive, which has seen swathes of southern Lebanon ravaged and occupied . Israeli strikes are also targeting areas far from the south, despite a truce in place with Hezbollah since 17 April.
Lebanese leaders argue that the diplomatic track is the only viable way to end the conflict. Non-negotiable terms A military source in the Lebanese army told The New Arab that "the army's core principles are clear and based on the priority of a full and comprehensive ceasefire, as well as the necessity of Israel withdrawing from the positions it occupies."
"How can the Lebanese army carry out its duties while Israel occupies and controls by firepower more than 60 villages and towns in southern Lebanon?" the source asked.
During the Pentagon meeting, the Lebanese army will present its phased plan to consolidate Hezbollah weapons under state authority, the source said. The delegation will also reaffirm its readiness to deploy across the south and turn the region into a weapons-free zone.
However, this requires Israel's withdrawal from the occupied areas and an end to all strikes, including those targeting Lebanese army positions and personnel.
The army will also present the steps it has taken to implement Lebanese cabinet decisions to restrict arms to the state, while reiterating the importance of international support to carry out its missions.
The source stressed that the army remains committed to preserving civil peace and will also emphasise the need to reactivate the work of a ceasefire monitoring committee established in 2024, after an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.
That committee, known as the 'mechanism' and led by the US, was supposed to monitor violations but failed to curb Israel from continuing its attacks on Lebanon.
Israeli forces continued to occupy five strategic Lebanese hilltops along the border despite the 2024 ceasefire, impeding the Lebanese army's efforts in disarming Hezbollah south of the Litani River.
Since that ceasefire completely collapsed and hostilities resumed in early March, Israel has deepened its invasion of southern Lebanon, crossing the Litani River and engaging in close-range clashes with Hezbollah fighters.
Hezbollah has criticised the Lebanese government over the direct negotiations with Israel and has refused to surrender its weapons, saying it will not disarm as long as Israeli forces remain in Lebanon.
Its leader, Naim Qassem, has threatened anti-government protests in an attempt to bring down Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's cabinet. Salam on Thursday condemned Israel's intensified onslaught in southern Lebanon as "collective punishment," but said it was more of a reason to push for diplomacy and seek a permanent end to the war. 'Deeply concerning' The Lebanese presidency said in a statement on Friday that President Joseph Aoun received a phone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which Aoun stressed the need to make every possible effort to secure a ceasefire, describing it as the "essential gateway to any further steps and necessary for creating the conditions to address outstanding issues."
The statement added that Rubio reaffirmed the US administration’s commitment to preserving the outcomes of previous Washington meetings and reiterated support for Lebanon’s stability, independence, sovereignty over all its territory, and its right to determine its own future.
Sources told The New Arab that Aoun had met privately with the military delegation, headed by Army Operations Director Brigadier General Georges Rizkallah, before its departure to Washington.
They agreed on the core principles Lebanon would present during negotiations at the Pentagon, the sources said, stressing that Lebanon is counting on the success of these meetings, during which it will reiterate calls for a full and comprehensive ceasefire and for all weapons to come under state control.
This includes ending assassinations and all land, air and maritime violations, as well as the need for Israel to withdraw from areas it occupies in southern Lebanon — key to allowing the Lebanese army to complete its deployment in the region and consolidate weapons under state control.
The sources told TNA that the recent Israeli attacks are "deeply concerning" and that Beirut is intensifying diplomatic contacts in an effort to de-escalate the situation and pressure Israel to halt its attacks.
They noted that there are "certain US guarantees" that Beirut, civilian facilities such as the airport and ports, and key infrastructure would not be targeted.
"However, all possibilities remain on the table, especially as Washington continues at the same time to support Israel's 'freedom of action' and its 'right to defend itself'," the sources said.
They added that Lebanon would use the meeting at the Pentagon to renew its calls for an end to all Israeli attacks, and bulldozing operations and destruction of towns and villages in the south, describing this as "a fundamental entry point for any security arrangements." Pressure tactics On Thursday, Israeli media said a strike on the town of Choueifat , south of Beirut, targeted the head of Hezbollah’s missile unit. Neither Tel Aviv nor Hezbollah have released an official statement on the fate of the individual.
The Trump administration had reportedly told Israel to inform Washington of any planned assassinations in Lebanon, and conditioned approval of the strike on the intended target not resulting in the full collapse of a building, Israeli media said Thursday.
There have been reports of infighting within the Israeli cabinet on how to move forward in the war on Lebanon, with some Israeli officials, including far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, calling for mass devastation.
Observers say Israel's recent uptick in attacks is believed to be part of a pressure tactic against Lebanon before Friday's talks at the Pentagon and the planned negotiations in June.
The continued destruction of southern Lebanon, the forced displacement of its residents, and heavy strikes on cities like Tyre and Nabatiyeh — important commercial and cultural hubs in the south — are all aimed at exerting further pressure on Hezbollah and its support base.
Other reports have said Israel is seeking to achieve as many of its war objectives against Hezbollah as possible before Washington pressures it into a full ceasefire.
More than 3,300 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since fighting resumed between Israel and Hezbollah on 2 March.