The United States has announced a new round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations in Washington next week after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a renewed ceasefire following a sharp escalation in fighting in southern Lebanon.
The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday and discussed talks scheduled for June 23 and 25.
The announcement came hours after a ceasefire was reached amid concerns that continued hostilities in Lebanon could undermine a broader U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the regional conflict and creating conditions for a wider peace agreement.
According to U.S. officials, the ceasefire came into effect around 4 p.m. local time in Lebanon following an exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Negotiators from the United States and Qatar, with assistance from Iran, helped secure the agreement.
Officials from Hezbollah and Israel confirmed the ceasefire, while Lebanese security sources said Israeli airstrikes continued during the first hour after the agreement took effect but stopped later in the evening.
Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes since midnight had killed 47 people and wounded 97 others.
The Israeli military reported that four soldiers were killed in an incident in Lebanon.
The renewed truce follows months of intermittent fighting despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024.
The upcoming Washington talks will mark another stage in direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which resumed earlier this year for the first time since 1993.
The State Department said Rubio emphasized that negotiations between the two governments remain the only viable path toward reconstruction, economic recovery and ending recurring violence.
The Lebanese presidency said a comprehensive ceasefire would be a fundamental pillar of the discussions.
The conflict in Lebanon has become closely tied to wider U.S.-Iran diplomacy.
Planned U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland were postponed as fighting intensified in Lebanon, highlighting concerns that instability on the Israel-Lebanon front could threaten progress toward a broader regional agreement.
The interim U.S.-Iran memorandum calls for the termination of military operations across all fronts, including Lebanon, while discussions on unresolved issues are expected to continue during a 60-day negotiation period.