jordan pulse -

A group of 17 nations, including France and the United Kingdom, called on Lebanon and Israel on Tuesday to "seize the opportunity" presented by direct peace negotiations scheduled to begin in Washington under U.S. mediation.
​In a joint statement issued ahead of the talks, the signatory countries welcomed the initiative by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israel's agreement to enter direct negotiations mediated by the United States.
​The statement, which included Australia, Belgium, Spain, and Sweden among others, warned that the continued conflict in Lebanon threatens regional de-escalation efforts.
​The signatories condemned "in the strongest terms" attacks by Hezbollah on Israel, as well as "large-scale Israeli attacks" launched on Lebanon on April 8, which Lebanese authorities say killed more than 350 people and wounded over 1,000 others.
​The talks, set to take place at the State Department, will be hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They involve Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yehiel Leiter, alongside U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michael Issa.
​While the meeting marks the first high-level talks of this nature in decades, analysts suggest the prospects for reaching a comprehensive agreement remain slim.