Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome delayed to October: US official

A resident assesses the damage in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, Lebanon, on May 26.

WASHINGTON – The next round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Rome have been delayed until October, a US official said on Sept 11.

In August, the United States had said the next round of talks in the Italian capital would take place in early September.

While the Rome talks will not go ahead as planned, the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors will meet at the State Department in Washington next week “to discuss ongoing developments and the continued implementation” of a framework deal agreed in June, the official said, on customary condition of anonymity.

The so-called Trilateral Framework involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon’s south and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in test areas known as “pilot zones”.

The US official on Sept 11 said the deal “remains the only viable mechanism to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and Israel’s security”.

After the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, Hezbollah brought Lebanon into the conflict by launching missiles at Israel.

There had been a lull in violence after the understanding reached between Iran and the US in June, followed by an agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

But strikes have increased in intensity in recent days.

The announcement of the delay comes one day after Israel destroyed tunnels built by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, with the massive explosion recorded by the US Geological Survey as the equivalent of a 4.1-magnitude earthquake.

The delay was prompted by several factors that made it impossible for key people to attend, a source familiar with the planning told AFP.

Those included preparations for the upcoming UN General Assembly, Jewish holidays, and a Paris conference in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the source said. AFP