Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a ceasefire with Israel is crucial, as Israeli and Lebanese military delegations meet at the Pentagon, Al Jazeera reports.

A statement from Aoun’s office said that during a phone call, the president “emphasised the need to exert all efforts to reach a ceasefire, considering it an essential gateway to moving on to any other step”.

Rubio reiterated the US administration’s commitment to consolidate the outcomes of previous ambassador-level negotiations meetings in Washington between Israel and Lebanon, and expressed his support for Lebanon’s stability, independence and sovereignty, the statement added.