Direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, the first since 1993, have begun in the US

The first direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in 33 years have begun in Washington, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also participating.

This is reported by newsru.co.il.

The states, which have been in a state of war since 1948, are represented by their ambassadors to the United States, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hammade Mouawad, who refrained from shaking hands. U.S. Ambassador to Beirut Michelle Issa is also participating in the negotiations.

"We understand that we are up against decades of difficult history. But we are not just talking about a ceasefire, but about a permanent settlement designed to put an end to 20-30 years of Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon. We won't be able to solve all the problems in six hours, but this is a historic opportunity to start moving forward," Secretary of State Rubio said.