Diplomatic negotiations between delegations from the governments of Israel and Lebanon, originally planned to take place in Rome, have been postponed until October, a United States diplomatic official said on Friday. The official is a mediator in what were described as extremely difficult talks.
The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are expected to meet next week in Washington to discuss recent developments and the progressive implementation of the agreement reached by the two sides, said the State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The official said the next round of formal negotiations would take place in Rome in October, a delay from the original plan to hold talks in September, as soon as next week.
Framework deal signed in June
Israel and Lebanon, which technically remain in a state of war, signed a framework agreement at the end of June. It provides for the deployment of the Lebanese army in so-called pilot zones from which Israeli forces would withdraw. Those forces continue to occupy a zone along southern Lebanon.
The withdrawal is conditioned on the disarmament of the Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is aligned with Iran. The official said the agreement remains the only viable mechanism to restore Lebanon's national sovereignty and Israel's security.
Hezbollah refuses to disarm
Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the agreement and has said it will not lay down its weapons.
Strikes continue despite ceasefire
Although a ceasefire has nominally been in effect since June, the Israeli military continues to carry out sporadic airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon.
On Thursday, Israel launched a wide-scale bombardment targeting Hezbollah, destroying an underground complex the group was reported to have used, among other sites. The explosion was powerful enough that the United States Geological Survey recorded a seismic tremor measuring 4.1 in magnitude.
Two earlier rounds in Rome
Over the summer, the Israeli and Lebanese governments held two rounds of talks in Rome under the auspices of Washington. In mid-August, US diplomats announced a third round for early September, also to be held in the Italian capital.
A source familiar with the matter told Agence France-Presse that scheduling issues, particularly the United Nations General Assembly at the end of September, led to the postponement of this round of talks.
