Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the talks were a 'historic' opportunity to end Hezbollah influence in the region. Lebanon and Israel have held their first direct diplomatic talks in over three decades,

Lebanon and Israel are set to hold the first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington following more than a month of war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group that has rocked the tiny Mediterranean country.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the negotiations ‘will be a process,’ as delegations from Israel and Lebanon sat down for U.S.-brokered talks in Washington.

Many residents in Lebanon and Israel on Tuesday expressed pessimism that the upcoming Lebanon-Israel meeting in Washington would not be fruitful.

Israeli and Lebanese officials to meet to discuss Israel's campaign against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. We report from southern Lebanon. Also in the programme: a BBC investigation into Greek police recruiting mercenaries to push migrants back into Turkey;

Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to meet on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., as part of an effort to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to join the talks.

Representatives from Lebanon and Israel are holding direct talks in the United States for the first time in decades — but Hezbollah is rejecting the talks entirely. Here's what's at stake.

The purpose of the talks is to end the conflict engulfing southern Lebanon where Israel is striking Hezbollah positions, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee. On Monday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem urged Lebanon to cancel the planned meeting with Israel.