Lebanon and Israel to Discuss Border Disputes in Direct Negotiations

Lebanon and Israel Set to Meet for Third Time This Year to Discuss Ceasefire and Disarmament

A new round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel is scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday. The talks will focus on a ceasefire agreement and the disarmament of Hezbollah, which is set to expire on Sunday.

This will be the third time that Lebanese and Israeli delegations have met face-to-face this year. Previous meetings were held in Washington, DC, on April 14 and April 23. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam support direct negotiations, while Hezbollah and its allies prefer indirect talks.

The process has been divisive within Lebanon, with some officials supporting the talks and others opposing them. The Lebanese delegation will be led by Simon Karam, a diplomat appointed by Aoun. Other officials who will attend include Nada Hamadeh Moawad, Lebanon’s ambassador to the US, and Wissam Boutros, Deputy Chief of Mission.

Israel’s delegation will include Yechiel Leiter, its ambassador to Washington, Brigadier General Amichai Levin, head of the Israeli army’s Strategic Division, and Michael Needham, an adviser to the US Secretary of State. The US has proposed a direct meeting between Aoun and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which could potentially exacerbate tensions in Lebanon.

The talks come as Israel continues to intensify its attacks on Lebanon, despite the ceasefire. On Wednesday, eight people were killed when Israeli drones targeted vehicles along a key road linking southern Lebanon to Beirut. Nine more were killed in strikes elsewhere in the country. The Lebanese government has issued forced evacuation orders for towns in the eastern Bekaa Valley and the south.

The negotiations will take place amidst ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire.

Source: Al Jazeera