A senior American official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun last night to try to resolve remaining differences, according to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid (N12). Rubio also joined parts of the talks between the sides today. Separately, journalist Yaron Abraham (N12) reports that under the emerging agreement, Israel will have to approve the success of the pilot zones in southern Lebanon — effectively giving Jerusalem a veto.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone last night with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in an effort to resolve remaining differences in the ongoing Israel-Lebanon talks, a senior American official told Israeli journalist Barak Ravid (N12). According to the official, Rubio also participated in parts of the negotiations today.
In a related development from the same round of talks, journalist Yaron Abraham (N12) reported that under the emerging framework for the pilot zones in southern Lebanon, the success of the pilot must be approved by Israel. This means Israel can certify that the area has been 'cleared' — effectively granting Jerusalem a veto over the outcome. The report follows earlier reports that a principled agreement on the pilot zones was reached on Thursday, with details to be finalized in a Washington round.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Friday, Rubio had already spoken to both leaders overnight in a previous effort to bridge gaps. The talks, brokered by the U.S., aim to stabilize the border following the ceasefire with Hezbollah and address Hezbollah disarmament. The two messages received tonight appear to be a continuation of the same diplomatic track, with Rubio maintaining direct engagement.
2 developments
- DevelopingRubio, Lebanese President Aoun discuss Hezbollah disarmament and ceasefire with Israel
- DevelopingRubio: Israel-Lebanon talks yesterday yielded 'very good results'
- StrongTrump speaks with Lebanese President Aoun, welcomes framework agreement with Israel
- DevelopingLebanese President Aoun: talks in Washington continue, separate from US-Iran track
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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