The Israel-Lebanon military talks in Washington have run unexpectedly long due to disagreements between the sides, journalist Libby Alon reports. The full extent of progress will only become clear later today, after press conferences and official statements, she added.
Libby Alon, a journalist covering the talks, reported Friday afternoon that the military negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington are taking longer than anticipated, due to disagreements between the two sides. She noted that only after scheduled press conferences and formal statements later today will the level of progress become clear. This follows earlier Lebanese media reports Thursday of "some progress" in the talks, as The Zioneer reported; the current session appears to be grappling with unresolved issues.
The talks, which began earlier this week, were originally expected to conclude after three days but extended into a fourth day on Friday, the Israeli Embassy in Washington confirmed in the early hours of Friday morning (02:53 Jerusalem). A U.S. State Department official told Lebanon's MTV channel at that time that both sides reconvened at 09:00 Eastern time (16:00 Jerusalem) to press toward an agreement. The current session, now running long, appears to be addressing lingering disagreements. Prior to that, a pilot plan for an Israeli withdrawal under American supervision had been built as part of the talks, as The Zioneer reported at 02:53 Jerusalem on Friday.
The discussions come amid ongoing military operations in southern Lebanon. As The Zioneer reported Sunday, June 21, the IDF captured a Hezbollah drone factory and launch site hidden in a south Lebanon mountain. On June 19, heavy ground fighting erupted near Kfar Tebnit, and on June 14, the IDF pushed into three new axes in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese reports and Hezbollah statements. These developments underscore the security backdrop against which the U.S.-mediated talks are taking place.
It remains unclear how the current disagreements will be resolved, and whether the press conferences and official statements scheduled for later today will indicate a breakthrough or a stalemate. The full extent of progress will only become clear after those formal announcements.
5 developments
- DevelopingLebanon, Israel hold fifth round of Washington talks as US-Iran track looms
- DevelopingReport: Israel-Lebanon negotiations reach deadlock over IDF withdrawal demands
- DevelopingIsraeli overnight strikes in southern Lebanon delay US-Iran talks, according to Israeli media
- DevelopingReport: Fifth round of Lebanon-Israel border talks to open in Washington on June 22
Source and signal
- Internal intake