US-brokered direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to begin in Washington the week of October 11, 2026, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s October 3 announcement instructing his team to pursue talks focused on Hezbollah disarmament and normalized relations. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has publicly backed a diplomatic track to implement the existing framework agreement, including Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Blue Line adjustments, detainee returns, and Lebanese Army deployment, while urging US pressure on compliance. Netanyahu consulted US President Donald Trump on de-escalation ahead of the meetings, and earlier reports noted Trump’s expectation of a leaders’ call—the first in decades—though Aoun has previously conditioned high-level contact on prior progress. These developments, amid stalled implementation of the 2024 ceasefire and ongoing border tensions, shape trader assessments of near-term bilateral contact.