
Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States, held a phone call with Lebanon's ambassador, marking the first direct contact between the countries without formal diplomatic relations. Leiter, a US-born settlement activist and former Netanyahu aide, will lead official peace talks beginning Tuesday. Israel has carried out hundreds of ceasefire violations since November 2024. Over 2,000 people have died in Israeli attacks on Lebanon, displacing over one million residents.