US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the rare encounter between representatives of governments that have technically been in a state of war since Israel was established in 1948.
They entered Tuesday's talks with conflicting agendas, with Israel ruling out discussion of a ceasefire in Lebanon and demanding Beirut disarm Hezbollah.
The US State Department released a statement after the meeting saying the two sides had "productive discussions on steps toward launching direct negotiations".
It set out each nation's positions but did not say they had reached any common ground.
"All sides agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue," the statement said.
Speaking to reporters after the more than two-hour-long meeting in Washington, Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the United States, said the Lebanese government made it clear during the talks it will no longer be "occupied" by Iran-aligned Lebanese militia Hezbollah.
He declined to say whether Israel would cease its attacks on Lebanon.
Lebanese ambassador Nada Moawad described the preliminary meeting as "constructive".
In a statement to Reuters, she said in the meeting she called for a ceasefire and the return of displaced people to their homes and measures to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon caused by the conflict.
The meeting comes at a critical juncture in the crisis in the Middle East, a week into a fragile ceasefire between the United States, Israel and Iran.
The wider conflict in the region began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran on March 2, sparking an Israeli offensive that has killed more than 2000 people and forced 1.2 million from their homes, according to Lebanese authorities.
Speaking at the start of the meeting, Rubio acknowledged Tuesday's talks would not solve "all of the complexities" but he hoped they would help form a framework for peace.
Israeli ambassador Leiter later expressed hope but did not mention a concrete way forward.
"What gives me hope is the fact that the Lebanese Government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah ... This is an opportunity," the ambassador said.
This is the first time our two countries are sitting together in over three decades," Leiter said, adding that there may be further talks in the coming weeks.
