The first day of Israeli-Lebanese negotiations in Washington ended without any headway, Axios reports, citing deep disagreements over the scope and timeline of an Israeli withdrawal. The talks are said to have grown increasingly tense, with the US mediators now trying to restart the process.
A new Axios report, cited Wednesday evening by a curated news channel, states that the first day of Israeli-Lebanese negotiations in Washington ended without any progress, citing deep disagreements over the scope and timeline of an Israeli withdrawal. The report describes the talks as having grown increasingly tense, with U.S. mediators now attempting to 'reboot' the process. This account comes after The Zioneer reported earlier Wednesday that the second day of talks had opened with a U.S. State Department official citing progress, creating an apparent contradiction in the assessment of the talks' trajectory. The source for the Axios report is an anonymous account.
Earlier on Tuesday (June 23, 23:32 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported that the first day of negotiations had concluded, without immediate details on content or progress. A subsequent report at the same time noted that talks were expected to continue through Thursday, with internal disagreements over a partial withdrawal from southern Lebanon. At 17:54 Jerusalem Wednesday, a U.S. State Department official was quoted saying the second day had begun and that the talks were advancing toward a comprehensive security arrangement, with Israel and Lebanon negotiating as sovereign states.
The talks are part of a dual-track framework launched earlier this week in Washington, as The Zioneer reported on Tuesday (June 23, 09:53 Jerusalem), covering both political and military tracks focused on Hezbollah disarmament and pilot security zones. The key outstanding issues remain the mechanism and timetable for an IDF withdrawal from areas it currently holds in southern Lebanon, alongside the demand for Hezbollah's disarmament.
It remains unclear which side's account of the talks' status is more accurate, and whether the U.S. mediation efforts described by Axios have altered the official diplomatic assessment. No on-record confirmation from either delegation or the State Department has corroborated the Axios report's characterization of the sessions.
3 developments
- DevelopingDay 2 of Israel-Lebanon talks opens in Washington; US State Department cites progress
- DevelopingReport: Israel-Lebanon negotiations reach deadlock over IDF withdrawal demands
- DevelopingIsrael-Lebanon withdrawal talks underway at the Pentagon
- DevelopingUS ambassador to Lebanon acknowledges difficulties in Israel-Lebanon talks, expresses hope
Source and signal
- Internal intake