“All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue," he noted. "The US congratulated the two countries on this historic milestone and expressed its support for further talks.”
He added that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached between the two governments, brokered by the US, and not through any separate track.
The announcement came after Israeli and Lebanese envoys held more than two hours of talks mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to a statement, the two sides presented differing expectations for a peace agreement, with Israel emphasizing the disarmament of Hezbollah and Lebanon calling for concrete measures to ease the humanitarian crisis in the region.
