Ceasefire not included: Lebanon begins historic 'exploratory' talks with Israel

The Trump administration on Tuesday hosted Lebanon and Israel's top diplomats in Washington for the first direct talks between the two sides in more than three decades. 

But a ceasefire was not on the agenda, and the main subject of concern, Hezbollah, had no representation, leaving Lebanese officials with little to no authority coming into the meeting. 

"I know some of you were shouting questions about a ceasefire," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters. 

"This is a lot more than just about that. This is about bringing a permanent end to 20 or 30 years of Hezbollah’s influence in this part of the world and the - not just the damage that it’s inflicted on Israel - [but] the damage that it’s inflicted on the Lebanese people."

The US designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997, but it remains the foremost military actor in Lebanon, and is represented in the country's parliament. Hezbollah was formed in 1982 to explicitly counter Israel's occupation and influence in Lebanon.

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