Rubio at start of Israel-Lebanon talks: "This is a process, not an event"

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke briefly at the top of talks Tuesday between Israel and Lebanon, flanked by the meeting participants in the Benjamin Franklin room at the State Department. He framed the talks as going beyond an effort to reach a ceasefire. 

"This is a process, not an event," Rubio said. "This is more than just one day. This will take time, but we believe it is worth this endeavor, and it's a historic gathering that we hope to build on."

"This is a historic opportunity," he said. "We understand we're working against decades of history and the complexities that have led us to this unique moment and the opportunity here."

Rubio was pictured alongside State Department Counselor Mike Needham, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter.