Virtual Israeli-Lebanese-US meeting to be held Friday
An Israeli-Lebanese-U.S. military meeting will be held electronically on Friday to discuss military details, finalize the two pilot zones, and determine the start date for implementation.
Lebanon and Israel concluded two days of talks in Rome on Wednesday, with a U.S. State Department official describing the discussions as “productive and positive.”
"Talks concluded after two days of productive and positive discussions," a U.S. official said, adding that the participants "agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be finalized and implemented in the coming days."
The U.S. official said they will now "move to expanded technical talks, which will focus on implementing all areas of the Trilateral Framework with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Lebanon."
The U.S.-brokered negotiations took place in the Italian capital over the framework agreement sealed last month after five rounds of talks in Washington, with Lebanese negotiators hoping for progress on an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The deal seeks an end to the state of war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, disarmament of the Iran-backed militant group, the deployment of Lebanese troops in the south and for Israeli forces to steadily withdraw from the country, starting with two "pilot zones".
But the agreement, rejected by Hezbollah, does not set a timetable for Israel's withdrawal.
Israeli officials have also vowed that their forces will remain in a "security zone" 10 kilometers deep along the frontier for as long as Hezbollah remains armed.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said his country was "ready to move forward implementing these two pilot zones".
A Lebanese military source meanwhile told AFP that the Lebanese army has begun intensifying patrols in several villages adjacent to areas occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, including Froun in the Bint Jbeil district, in preparation for implementing the pilot zones provision.
Source: Naharnet
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