Thursday began the third day of the fifth round of negotiations between… Lebanon andIsrael At the headquarters of the US State Department in Washington.
Israel and Lebanon are discussing a US-backed proposal requiring Israeli forces to hand over parts of the occupied Lebanese territories to the Lebanese army, in preparation for Lebanon regaining control over them.
The proposal to establish an “experimental zone” is part of the latest round of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington, despite the decline in its momentum in light of Iran’s efforts to include the Lebanese file on its negotiating agenda with the United States.
Israeli condition…
In this context, the Israeli government confirmed that “we will not withdraw our forces from southern Lebanon as long as the threat persists.” Hezbollah“, saying: “Spread Lebanese Army “It must happen before our forces withdraw from southern Lebanon.”
She stressed that “the disarmament of Hezbollah is a prerequisite for the withdrawal of our forces from southern Lebanon.”
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen also said: “We will not withdraw from the security belt in Lebanon even if we are asked to do so Donald Trump Or any other American official.”
Before that, the US Secretary of State said Marco Rubio “Yesterday’s results in the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel were very good,” stressing that “the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington are continuing today,” and that the American administration is “working seriously to reach an agreement of intentions that can be built upon.”
Lebanon and Israel negotiations in Washington (X).
Israeli withdrawal?
In another context, Lebanese and Israeli officials denied the validity of reports that spoke of an Israeli withdrawal from South LebanonAfter an American official indicated that Israel had withdrawn part of its forces from the region in what he described as a “goodwill gesture.”
The American official said that the Israeli move represents a positive gesture towards the Lebanese government, considering that the Lebanese army should deploy in the areas from which Israeli forces withdrew.
However, a Lebanese military source was quick to deny this information, stressing that Israeli forces are still stationed in the Lebanese territories they recently occupied, and that what is being circulated about a withdrawal from the “buffer zone” is not true.
For his part, a senior Israeli defense official stressed that Tel Aviv’s position has not changed, stressing that Israeli army He will not withdraw from the area that Israel describes as a “buffer” in southern Lebanon.
An Israeli drone over Beirut (AFP).
Continuing violations…
These disagreements in Washington coincide with the continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
The National News Agency said, “The Israeli occupation forces burned a number of homes in the town of Ain Arab, after warnings they issued to the people on Wednesday of the necessity of evacuating the town before five o’clock in the evening.”
Three people were also killed when an Israeli drone targeted a car on the road between Zawtar and Mifdoun in southern Lebanon.
An Israeli drone flight was recorded over various Lebanese regions.
For its part, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that the number of victims of the Israeli war from March 2 to June 25 had risen to 4,230 and the wounded to 12,179.
