The governments of Israel and Lebanon, with the mediation of the United States, are conducting negotiations on the creation of special zones in southern Lebanon free from the Hezbollah group. At the same time, the parties have not yet been able to agree on exactly where these territories should be located, UNN reports citing Bloomberg.
Details
The negotiations intensified after the conclusion of a temporary peace agreement between the United States and Iran. According to the publication, the administration of President Donald Trump is urging Israel to show restraint and simultaneously work on a long-term agreement with Lebanon.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that an initial Israeli-Lebanese agreement could be concluded in the near future.
The main dispute is the location of future zones
The Lebanese side insists that part of the pilot zones be located in the 10-kilometer buffer zone along the border with Israel, which is currently under the control of the Israeli army and remains virtually without a civilian population.
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Israel rejected this proposal, stating that the Lebanese army can conduct disarmament operations against Hezbollah in other areas south of the Litani River, which is traditionally considered a stronghold region of this group.
Israel does not plan to leave the buffer zone
According to Bloomberg, the United States is ready to provide training and monitoring of the actions of the Lebanese military to ensure that Hezbollah militants do not return to the new pilot zones.
At the same time, Israel states that it will maintain control over the buffer zone and will not allow the return of local residents until the Iran-backed Hezbollah group completely ceases to pose a threat to the country's security.