Rome, Italy – A U.S. State Department official said that Israel and Lebanon will meet in Rome in October.
The meeting will discuss a security agreement brokered by Washington aimed at reducing hostilities along their shared border.
A mechanism to restore security and sovereignty
Reuters quoted the official as saying that continuing to implement the security agreement
“remains the only viable mechanism for restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and Israel’s security.”
This indicates continued US efforts to push both sides toward solidifying the ceasefire.
The United States is also seeking to address outstanding security issues.
The official added that the Lebanese ambassador and her Israeli counterpart will meet in Washington next week.
This step comes ahead of the anticipated meeting in Rome,
amid ongoing contacts aimed at keeping the negotiation process alive.
Seventh round without progress
The seventh round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel concluded
in Rome last August without progress on key issues, according to Reuters.
The scheduling of a new meeting comes amid continued tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
However, several security and political issues remain unresolved
between the two sides, despite US-led efforts to reach a more stable arrangement.
Continued escalation in southern Lebanon
The diplomatic moves coincided with continued Israeli strikes in several areas of southern Lebanon.
Lebanon is demanding the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory and an end to the attacks.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health,
more than 4,300 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since March,
reflecting the scale of the human toll resulting from the ongoing escalation.
The upcoming meeting in Rome is expected to mark a new stage in the negotiations.
This is taking place in parallel with the anticipated meeting between representatives of
the two countries in Washington next week, in an attempt to revive the security agreement.
