Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington have reportedly hit a deadlock over the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, amid Israeli demands for guarantees preventing the return of Hezbollah and preserving the operational freedom of its military.
According to diplomatic sources cited by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, the fifth round of US-mediated talks has so far failed to produce an agreement that would allow Israeli troops to withdraw. Israel is insisting on remaining in southern Lebanon until it is assured that Hezbollah has been pushed away from the area and prevented from rebuilding its military infrastructure.
The dispute emerged during the fifth round of meetings between the Israeli and Lebanese delegations in Washington, according to the London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
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Sources familiar with the talks said Israeli Ambassador to the United States and head of the Israeli delegation, Yechiel Leiter, strongly objected to a proposed mechanism related to the Lebanese file, prompting US officials to intervene several times in an effort to ease tensions.
The sources added that the US side argued that involving Iran in some arrangements linked to Lebanon could serve as a means of pressuring Hezbollah and ensuring the implementation of understandings aimed at preserving Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial unity.
The current round of negotiations, which began on Tuesday and runs until Thursday, is focused on a proposal to establish so-called “pilot zones”, where the Lebanese army would assume full security responsibility to demonstrate its ability to prevent the return of Hezbollah activity.
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