US optimistic about ‘trajectory’ of Israel-Lebanon talks, State Dept official says
Last week’s U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome were “constructive and detailed,” according to a U.S. State Department official, despite reported tensions, including a request by Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, to cut negotiations short on the second day of the talks.The Aug. 4-6 meeting was the seventh round of Israel-Lebanon talks since negotiations began earlier this year and focused on implementing the U.S.-brokered Trilateral Framework Agreement signed in Washington on June 26. The framework calls for the Lebanese Armed Forces to restore state authority in southern Lebanon, including by disarming Hezbollah and dismantling its military infrastructure, followed by the progressive redeployment of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.The latest round centered on expanding the framework’s “pilot zones,” in which the Lebanese army is to assume control after clearing the areas of Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure. The first pilot-zone operations began July 20 in the southern…
U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome, held August 4-6, were “constructive and detailed,” according to a U.S. State Department official. These were the seventh round of talks this year, focusing on implementing the U.S.-brokered Trilateral Framework Agreement from June 26, which aims to restore Lebanese sovereignty and disarm Hezbollah. The sides finalized plans to expand pilot zones in southern Lebanon where the Lebanese Armed Forces will assume control after clearing Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure. The official stated, “The sides finalized the details needed to implement the pilot zones and other aspects of the Trilateral Framework, including shared definitions of verification and clearance.” Despite reported tensions and military activity during the talks, the U.S. remains optimistic about the “trajectory” of the negotiations, acknowledging challenges but noting that “nobody is dragging their feet on implementation.” The political track is set to reconvene in Rome in early September.
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