No progress on 'pilot zones' amid conflicting reports on captives
No progress has been made in the Rome talks regarding the expansion of the so-called pilot zones, especially since the discussion is focused on the political aspect, Baabda Palace sources told Al-Jadeed television on Thursday.
“The Lebanese delegation has several plans on this subject, including the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh,” the sources added.
“Serious discussions have begun regarding the pilot zones, and the Israeli side requested a presentation of the zones to examine the surrounding geographical and other circumstances,” the sources said.
Separately, the sources noted that “there is a positiveness in dealing with the captives' file, and work is underway to involve the International Committee of the Red Cross in the matter.”
“The discussion on the captives' file was divided into two parts: the first concerns international law governing prisoners, and the second relates to the exchange of prisoner lists, which is difficult for Lebanon because it does not possess these lists,” the sources added.
Moreover, the Baabda sources told Al-Jadeed that Wednesday’s escalation in the south was not raised at the Rome meeting, but rather through the mechanism adopted since October 27.
Sources following up on the negotiations meanwhile told LBCI television that Lebanon is demanding that a distinction be made between prisoners captured during fighting and others when their homes were inspected, adding that the latter should be swiftly released.
The sources added that Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh is one of the proposed pilot zones.
As for captives, the sources told LBCOI that “no progress has yet been made on the issue” and that “Israel is raising the issue of Lebanese Jews who went missing in Lebanon” during civil war.
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