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A Lebanese official said President Joseph Aoun has also instructed the delegation to discuss measures to ensure compliance with the ceasefire and a halt to violations, particularly what Beirut describes as Israel’s continued destruction of villages in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and her Israeli counterpart Yechiel Leiter will meet for the second time in two weeks at the US State Department headquarters in Washington.
The talks are expected to address preparations for a broader round of negotiations, including the formation of Lebanese and Israeli delegations as the fragile, US-brokered 10-day ceasefire expires on Sunday.
According to the source, former Lebanese ambassador Simon Karam is expected to head the Lebanese negotiating team. Karam previously took part in indirect talks with Israel in Ras Naqoura as part of the committee overseeing ceasefire implementation.
US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa is also expected to attend the meeting.
Aoun has been engaging with regional leaders as part of diplomatic efforts to bolster support for Lebanon’s position in the talks.
The Lebanese president held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during which he thanked him for the Kingdom’s continued support for Lebanon, particularly under the challenging circumstances at present.
In a separate call, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani expressed support for Aoun’s efforts to end hostilities, including through direct negotiations, securing an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and deploying the Lebanese army along the border to reinforce state authority.
On Wednesday, Aoun said he is in close coordination with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on the negotiations, stressing that talks conducted in line with Lebanon’s interests and principles remain the only path to ending the war, ensuring Israeli withdrawal, facilitating the return of displaced people and detainees, and enabling reconstruction, according to official sources.
Aoun had previously affirmed in an official statement that “direct negotiations” were his preferred option.“These negotiations are not a weakness. They are not a retreat. They are not a concession,” the president said in a televised address.
“They are a decision stemming from the strength in our belief in our rights and care for our people, and our responsibility to protect our country by all means possible.”
Hezbollah has described the talks as part of a series of “losing concessions” that the Lebanese government is making to Israel.
Salam, speaking from Paris on Tuesday night after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, confirmed that Lebanon will continue to pursue diplomacy through direct talks with Israel.
“Negotiations will be arduous, and we will need active support from our allies. There can be no state or sovereignty with more than one army.”He added: “We are not seeking a confrontation with Hezbollah, but we will not allow them to intimidate us.”
At a joint press conference, the French president stressed the need to extend the truce between Lebanon and Israel to allow negotiations to begin.
He also emphasized the need for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, alongside the disarmament of Hezbollah within a Lebanese-led framework.
An official Lebanese source told Arab News that there is consensus among Lebanese officials on entering negotiations based on a clear plan, noting that while Hezbollah opposes direct talks, this remains “their prerogative.”
The official source said disarming Hezbollah “is Lebanon’s responsibility,” while citing continued Israeli “violations” since the April 16 ceasefire, including the large-scale destruction of southern villages “to the point of erasing their features.”
“This is an unacceptable breach by all standards,” the official told Arab News.
Under the ceasefire conditions, Israel claims it has the right to “self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks.”
The Israeli military said the buffer zone established in the south, 5-10km deep into Lebanese territory, where 39 villages and towns have been flattened, is aimed at removing Hezbollah threats.
The official Lebanese source said the upcoming Washington meeting reflects an effort to separate Lebanon’s negotiations from the broader US-Iran track.
He described the move as a “decoupling” of the two files, while noting that any positive developments in US-Iran talks, if they resume, could still have a beneficial impact on Lebanon.
“Lebanon is not at that negotiating table,” the source said, adding that while Hezbollah may prefer Iran to negotiate on its behalf, “the Lebanese state is present, and it is the one that negotiates.”
Separately, as part of efforts to implement the Cabinet’s decision to restrict weapons to state institutions, Aoun during a meeting with senior security officials called for stricter enforcement measures in Beirut and other regions.
He urged an increase in the deployment of military and security forces and enhanced coordination among agencies.
Aoun also called for intensified raids on suspected weapons depots and stressed the need to prevent any armed displays, warning against any attempts to undermine security.
He said preserving civil peace at this stage is “a red line,” emphasizing that no party should obstruct the implementation of security measures.