US to host second round of Lebanon-Israel talks with Huckabee attending

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is set to attend a new round of US-hosted talks between Lebanon and Israel this week in Washington, DC, a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu on Tuesday. The US will host the second round of ambassador-level discussions on Thursday at the State Department. The meeting follows what the spokesperson described as "productive engagement" during initial talks held on April 14.

Senior officials attending

Huckabee will join senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Counselor Michael Needham. Also set to take part are US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, the spokesperson said. "We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments," the spokesperson added.

Ceasefire context

On Friday, a 10-day ceasefire took effect between Lebanon and Israel. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the following day that Israel intends to maintain control over all areas it occupied in southern Lebanon during its latest offensive. Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed some 2,300 people, wounded over 7,500, and displaced more than 1 million, according to official figures.

Regional backdrop

The talks come as the two-week US-Iran ceasefire mediated by Pakistan is set to expire on April 22. President Trump has warned that if no deal is reached, "bombs will start to explode," while maintaining a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Iran's Parliament Speaker has said Tehran will not negotiate under threats.