Lebanon · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
US Official Postpones Israel-Lebanon Talks in Rome to October, Moves Meeting to Washington
Rome talks postponed to October, according to a U.S. official. Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors will meet in Washington next week.
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9 of 11 outlets skipped it: deal described as only viable mechanism to restore sovereignty and security.
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Talks Shift to Washington
A new round of Israel-Lebanon talks originally scheduled for Rome next week was postponed to October, with a US official saying Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors would instead meet at the State Department in Washington.
“The next round of Israel-Lebanon talks, originally scheduled for Rome next week, has been postponed, a US official said Friday”
The Anadolu Ajansı report said the change was tied to Jewish holidays, a Paris conference on Lebanese army, and preparations for the UN General Assembly, and it added that there was no comment from Israel or Lebanon on the change of plans.
The Reuters account said the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors are due to meet in Washington, citing a US official and Axios, and it linked the Rome delay to Jewish holidays, a Paris conference and UN General Assembly preparations.
Anadolu Ajansı also said Lebanon and Israel had held seven rounds of direct negotiations since April, with five in Washington and the last two in Rome, and it described a sixth-round preliminary agreement to designate two "pilot areas" to begin implementing the Israeli withdrawal.
Framework, Hezbollah, and Pressure
The El Nuevo Diario report said the United States summoned the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel to a meeting next week at the State Department to address implementation of the June framework agreement and to review the latest developments.
It quoted a State Department official defending the Trilateral Framework as “the only viable mechanism” to move toward reclaiming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring Israel's security, and it described the pact as including phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from certain areas in southern Lebanon and their replacement by elements of the Lebanese Army through “pilot zones.”
The Arab Weekly report said the Lebanese army recorded 7,700 Israeli violations since the agreement was signed on June 26, warning that continued breaches threatened the understandings reached between the parties.
The Arab Weekly also said Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the negotiations and called on the Lebanese government to stop participating in them, while KAN reported Washington was pushing to expand the areas from which Israeli forces would withdraw and where control would subsequently be handed to the Lebanese military.
What’s at Stake Next
As the diplomatic channel shifts from Rome to Washington, the Reuters report tied the postponement to scheduling conflicts and said the ambassadors are due to meet in Washington to discuss ongoing developments and continued implementation of the framework deal agreed in June.
“remains the only practical mechanism for restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring Israel’s security”
The Jerusalem Post reported that the State Department official said the meeting would address “ongoing developments and the continued implementation of the trilateral framework, which remains the only practical mechanism for restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring Israel’s security,” and it added that the next round of formal talks is expected to take place in Rome in October.
The National reported that a Lebanese source close to the negotiations said “The timing doesn’t suit us. The President has to prepare for the Paris conference,” and it described how little progress had been made beyond establishing two “pilot zones” for Israel to withdraw.
The National also quoted the same Lebanese source saying that while negotiations may have stopped attacks on Dahiyeh and Beirut, “it hasn't stopped them at all in south Lebanon,” placing the next phase of talks under pressure from continued Israeli operations in southern Lebanon.