Israel and Lebanon to Hold Another Ceasefire Talk in Washington

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[The Financial News] Israel and Lebanon will hold fresh talks in Washington, D.C. on the 23rd local time to discuss extending the ceasefire and establishing a path toward peace.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on the 22nd that Lebanon plans to ask for the ceasefire, which is set to expire in a few days, to be extended by another month.
The Washington talks will be chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and attended by Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Lebanon's ambassador to the U.S. Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, is also expected to join.
The two countries held their first official talks since 1993 in Washington, D.C. on the 14th. At the time, the U.S. announced a 10-day temporary ceasefire after the meeting, but that deadline expires on the 26th.
A Lebanese government official told AFP in an interview that "at this meeting, we will demand a one-month extension of the ceasefire, along with an end to Israeli bombardment and a commitment to observe the truce." Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also confirmed that "contacts are under way to extend the ceasefire period."
Ahead of the talks, Israel expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Lebanese government. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said there are "no serious disagreements with Lebanon" and stressed that "the only obstacle to peace and normalization between the two countries is Hezbollah."
In fact, Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group, has been completely excluded from the negotiations.
Hezbollah has made clear that it opposes the talks.
Even as the negotiating table is being set, the gunfire on the ground has not stopped. 
Five people were killed in Lebanon in Israeli military strikes that day, and among the victims was Amal Khalil, a reporter for the Lebanese daily Al Akhbar.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel says it "has the right to take action in self-defense against planned or imminent attacks." Hezbollah, meanwhile, has continued the unstable situation by launching rocket attacks on northern Israel, saying it is responding to Israeli ceasefire violations.
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jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter