A rare diplomatic opening is taking shape as Israel and Lebanon re-engage in direct backchannel talks hosted in Washington, the first such effort in decades. But beneath the surface of this renewed dialogue lies a familiar and deeply entrenched fault line: Hezbollah. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has made it clear, progress toward peace and normalisation hinges on Lebanon’s willingness to confront Hezbollah’s influence. While Israel signals that border disputes with Lebanon are limited and potentially resolvable, it continues to view the Iran-backed group as the primary obstacle to any lasting agreement. On the other side, Hezbollah shows no signs of backing down. Senior figure Wafiq Safa, in a rare public interview, has rejected the idea of full disarmament, underscoring just how difficult these negotiations could become.