Israel and Lebanon hold first direct talks since 1993

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

54% : Drone and rocket alarms sounded in communities across northern Israel for much of the day.
52% : Their relationship with Lebanon's central government has become increasingly strained since the group moved to enter the war between Israel and Iran, its main benefactor.
51% : A US state department official told the BBC that the Israel-Lebanon talks were planned a month ago, before the talks with Iran in Islamabad were confirmed.
45% : A spokesman for the US state department, Tommy Pigott, said in a statement after the talks that both Israel and Lebanon had agreed to work towards reducing the influence of Hezbollah.
45% : Meanwhile, the US "expressed its support for Israel's right to defend itself" from Hezbollah's attacks, he said.
42% : Israel said it wanted to disarm all non-state terror groups - a reference to Hezbollah. Lebanon called for a ceasefire and measures to address its humanitarian crisis.
40% : Lebanon and Israel have held their first diplomatic talks in over three decades, a rare encounter aimed at ending fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
38% : In separate talks held between the US and Iran in Pakistan, Iranian negotiators insisted that Lebanon be included in any ceasefire - although both the US and Israel said it would not.
37% : While the two sides were meeting in Washington on Tuesday, Hezbollah claimed at least 24 attacks on Israel and Israeli troops in Lebanon.
37% : Israel has said its operations in Lebanon are aimed at disarming and dismantling the group, which it also fought in 2023 and 2024 as the war in Gaza raged.

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