Lebanese officials were not notified that a new round of talks between Lebanon and Israel would be held in Rome, despite Israel’s announcement on Tuesday that negotiations were to be held there on July 15 and 16, a source told The National.
“We don’t know anything. The Israelis are saying this but we still do not have any notice,” the source said.
The source added that Italian authorities were also caught off guard by the Israeli communication, prompting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to issue a statement welcoming Israel’s announcement of the dialogue.
“We warmly welcome the announcement that the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon,” Mr Tajani said.
“Last April, I informed the Lebanese and Israeli governments of Italy’s willingness to support the dialogue for peace in the region and to host the negotiations.”
The Italians "were asking about it just like we were”, the Lebanese source told The National.
A Lebanese security official said the army command had also not been formally notified of the location of the new round of talks. Six senior Lebanese army officers were involved in the recent rounds of direct Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington. The dialogue led to the signing, on June 26, of an agreement aimed at stopping the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Paul Morcos, Lebanon's Minister of Information, indicated last week that further negotiations – still in their early stages following the signing of the US-brokered plan – were now focused on establishing a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal. The proposal calls for empowering the Lebanese army, disarming Hezbollah, and withdrawing Israeli troops from ‘pilot zones’ in south Lebanon as initial steps.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is due to visit Washington on July 21 for his first face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump, according to an American source. The talks are expected to focus on fulfilling the requirements of the Lebanon-Israel agreement, including the Israeli withdrawal and extension of Lebanese state authority in the south.
Lebanon’s cabinet was briefed on the plan in a session last Thursday, where fierce objections were raised by those opposed to it, mainly pro-Hezbollah ministers and allies, ministerial sources told The National last week.
Critics of the plan have rejected it as suboptimal and murky, saying it was accepted under US pressure as Israeli troops expanded their invasion.
Last week, diplomats and Lebanese officials acknowledged the significant obstacles facing the Israel-Lebanon peace plan. Concerns include the deal's uncertain legal standing, the lack of any timetable for Israel to remove its troops, and the possibility that the US and Iran will negotiate different terms relating to Lebanon.
