For the first time in four decades, direct discussions between Israel and Lebanon formally opened Tuesday at the U.S. State Department, even as fighting along the northern border continues unabated.

The negotiations are being held in Washington, where Israeli officials made clear ahead of time that the diplomatic effort is not expected to influence the current military campaign in Lebanon.

Simultaneously, tensions on the ground escalated. The IDF reported that it is bracing for intensified attacks from Hezbollah. As the talks got underway, continuous sirens rang out in Kiryat Shmona and other Galilee communities following a drone strike near the entrance to Nahariya.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the significance of the meeting prior to its start, stating, “The Lebanese people are victims of Iranian aggression, and this needs to stop. And so our hope here, and I know this will be a process, is that all of the complexities of this matter are not going to be resolved in a very positive context from a terrorist proxy of Iran. So that is the hope here today.”

He emphasized that the effort will require time and persistence, adding, “This is more than just one day. This will take time, but we believe it is worth this endeavor, and it is a historic gathering that we hope to build on. And the hope today is that we can outline the framework upon which a permanent and lasting peace can be developed.”

Representing Israel at the talks is Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, while Lebanon is represented by its ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamada Muawed. The American delegation includes Ambassador to Lebanon Michelle Issa and State Department official Mike Needham.