Second Lebanon-Israel preparatory talks begin at White House
08:42, 24/04/2026, FridayU: Update: 08:43, 24/04/2026, Friday
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The second preparatory meeting for negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began Thursday at the White House, with President Trump expected to join shortly, according to sources accompanying the Lebanese delegation. The discussions aim to build on last week’s historic ambassador-level talks, the first in more than 30 years.
The second round of preparatory talks between Lebanon and Israel kicked off Thursday at the White House, with US President Donald Trump anticipated to join the session shortly, according to sources accompanying the Lebanese delegation. The participants arrived at the White House ahead of the meeting, the sources told Anadolu, speaking on condition of anonymity. The discussions follow a historic first round of ambassador-level talks held on April 14 at the State Department, which marked the first direct negotiations between the two countries in more than three decades.
Ceasefire extension and diplomatic momentum
The preparatory talks come one day after Trump announced a three-week extension of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, following a second round of high-level negotiations at the White House where he hosted ambassadors from both nations in the Oval Office. The original 10-day ceasefire, brokered by the US, took effect on April 16 but has been marred by daily Israeli violations. More than 2,475 people have been killed and over 1.6 million displaced since Israeli operations expanded on March 2.