Lebanon and Israel Begin Seventh Round of US-Mediated Talks in Rome

AFP

Lebanon and Israel's seventh round of US-mediated talks in Rome.

Lebanon and Israel began a seventh round of direct talks in Rome on Tuesday under US mediation, as Beirut seeks to secure a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

The negotiations follow a framework agreement signed on 26 June after five rounds of discussions. The agreement provides for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and the deployment of the Lebanese army, beginning with designated "pilot zones".

The United States and Italy announced last week that the latest round of negotiations would run from Tuesday to Thursday.

In a statement issued on Monday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he had spoken with the heads of the Lebanese and Israeli delegations, Simon Karam and Yehiel Leiter, urging both sides to continue working constructively to find common solutions that would allow for the full implementation of the framework agreement.

The previous round of talks, also held in Rome, resulted in an agreement for Israeli forces to withdraw from the outskirts of the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, one of the designated pilot zones. The Lebanese army subsequently deployed to the area, enabling residents to return after surveys and security inspections had been completed.

During a cabinet meeting on Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed the government's commitment to securing successive Israeli withdrawals from Lebanese territory, with the ultimate objective of a complete Israeli withdrawal.

Hezbollah, however, reiterated its opposition to direct negotiations with Israel, claiming the talks would bring "nothing but shame, humiliation, disappointment and successive concessions" for Lebanon.

A US State Department official said last week that technical delegations meeting in Rome would focus on accelerating the implementation of the framework agreement, including expanding the pilot zones, addressing outstanding border issues and drafting a comprehensive peace and security agreement.

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michael Issa, however, warned against accelerating the implementation process too quickly, saying it could place civilians at risk.

In a statement on Monday, Issa said allowing sufficient time to complete the necessary work would help ensure that future pilot zones operated more effectively. He stressed that both sides needed to agree on a clear and practical mechanism before moving to the next phase of the agreement.

Under the framework agreement, once the Lebanese army has deployed to the pilot zones, it is expected to disarm Hezbollah and prevent any armed presence outside the state security forces, paving the way for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from additional areas of southern Lebanon.


PUKMEDIA