Washington DC [US], April 15 : Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter declined to commit to a ceasefire in southern Lebanon after calling his meeting with Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh a "wonderful two-hour exchange" in Washington, DC, CNN reported.
"As for a ceasefire, we are dealing with only one thing, and I made this very clear, we are focused on the security of the residents of the State of Israel," Leiter said.
The Israeli envoy noted that both Israel and the Lebanese government are effectively on the "same side of the equation" regarding Hezbollah, and hinted at the possibility of formal and friendly ties between the two countries in the future.
However, he stressed that Israel has no plans to halt its military campaign against the militant group, which he said is "as weakened as they've ever been."
"Israelis don't wake up in the morning and look to fire missiles across the border," Leiter continued, "The missiles are being fired at our civilians - that will be put a stop to. We will not allow (Hezbollah) to continually fire missiles into our population centres," CNN quoted.
Leiter further revealed that the discussions produced "several proposals and recommendations," adding that both sides are expected to present these to their respective governments and may "reconvene in the coming weeks to continue the discussions" in Washington.
These peace talks unfolded amid the West Asia crisis, coming a week after a fragile ceasefire was reached between the United States, Israel and Iran.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Washington on Tuesday, expressing hope that both sides could reach a framework for a peace process, even as Israel continued its military campaign against Hezbollah.
Calling the engagement a "historic opportunity," Rubio said the effort sought to address decades of instability driven by Hezbollah's influence.
"This is a historic opportunity. We understand we're working against decades of history and complexities that have led us to this unique moment. And the opportunity here - I know some of you were shouting questions about a ceasefire. This is a lot more than just about that. This is about bringing a permanent end to 20 or 30 years of Hizballah's influence in this part of the world and the not just the damage that it's inflicted on Israel, but also the damage that it's inflicted on the Lebanese people. We have to remember the Lebanese people are victims of Hizballah. The Lebanese people are victims of Iranian aggression. And this needs to stop," he said.
Rubio further stated that the Lebanese population had been impacted by both Hezbollah and Iranian actions, stressing the need for a durable solution. He acknowledged that progress would take time, describing the initiative as a "process and not an event."
"All of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in the next six hours. But we can begin to move forward to create the framework where something can happen, something very positive, something very permanent so that the people of Lebanon can have the kind of future they deserve, and so that the people of Israel can live without fear of being struck by rocket attacks from a terrorist proxy of Iran," he added.
Rubio further asserted that, "This is a process, not an event. This is more than just one day. This will take time. But we believe it's worth this endeavor, and it's a historic gathering that we hope to build on, and the hope today is that we can outline the framework upon which a permanent and lasting peace can be developed so that, as I said, the people of Israel can live in peace, and the people of Lebanon can live not just in peace but the prosperity and security that they deserve."
Israel is aiming to use the meeting to discuss the disarmament of Hezbollah along with an eventual peace treaty with Lebanon, while Beirut's top priority is to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, something Jerusalem has ruled out, leading two officials involved in the meeting's planning to temper their expectations for what can be accomplished, Times of Israel reported.