Lebanon and Israel to hold second round of direct talks in US on truce
Kyiv • UNN
Diplomats will meet at the White House to discuss extending the truce. Lebanon proposes troop withdrawal, while Israel demands Hezbollah's disarmament.
Lebanon and Israel will hold a second session of direct talks in Washington dedicated to extending the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah group. This was reported by the Associated Press, writes UNN.
Details
The meeting will take place at the White House with the participation of diplomats from both countries – Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yehiel Leiter. According to an American official, US President Donald Trump plans to personally greet the parties.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that his representative would propose extending the current 10-day truce, which came into effect last week.
The Lebanese side also intends to raise the issue of stopping the demolition of houses in the southern areas controlled by Israel.
According to Aoun, in the future, the parties may move to broader negotiations, which will include a complete cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the release of prisoners, and the restoration of Lebanon's control over border territories.
Israel's position
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that Hezbollah remains the main obstacle to peace.
We have no serious disagreements with Lebanon... The only obstacle is Hezbollah
He also called on Beirut to cooperate on the issue of disarming the group.
Context
This is the second round of direct contacts between Lebanon and Israel in recent decades. The previous meeting took place a few days ago and was the first in about 30 years.
Israel currently controls a buffer zone up to 10 km deep in southern Lebanon, explaining this by the need to prevent shelling of its territory.