Lebanon has accepted a US invitation to attend direct talks with Israel in Rome, set to take place on July 15 and 16, after initially rejecting the proposal because it had not been notified of the change in venue, political sources told The National on Wednesday.
“Initially the perspective was that the negotiations should stay in [Washington], so we had refused – but then he [President Joseph Aoun] accepted,” a source close to the Lebanese presidency said. “It seems an understanding between the US and the Lebanese delegation was reached, and it worked out.”
The source said the presidency was officially informed of the Rome talks on Wednesday morning, Lebanon time.
Israeli officials announced that the talks would be held in the Italian capital 24 hours before Lebanese officials were notified.
No explanation has been given for the decision to hold the next round in Rome but another source speculated the move was primarily driven by time zone and logistical considerations, making it easier for US officials to co-ordinate with Lebanese and Israeli counterparts.
“I think it’s easier for [Washington], DC,” the source said. “Sometimes you need [US Secretary of State Marco] Rubio to be there.”
The source added that the Lebanese delegation would be political, with military representatives not expected to participate.
Last week, Information Minister Paul Morcos said the talks – still in their early stages following the signing of a US-brokered agreement – had entered a new phase, focusing on establishing a timetable for Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Under the agreement, “pilot zones” would be established where the Lebanese army would be deployed, assert full control and disarm Hezbollah, while Israeli forces would withdraw from those areas. Ministerial sources said negotiations would continue in parallel with the establishment of these zones.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is due to visit Washington on July 21 for his first face-to-face meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump. Their talks are expected to focus on fulfilling the requirements of the Lebanon-Israel agreement, including the Israeli withdrawal and the extension of Lebanese state authority in the south.
Mr Aoun said he expected the visit to “bring positive outcomes for Lebanon, as it reflects “unprecedented American interest in Lebanon and the United States' support for finding a lasting solution to the series of Israeli attacks on our country.”
He claimed the negotiation initiative was supported by the majority of Lebanese, including the Shiite community, many of whom have been displaced from their homes in south Lebanon by the Israeli invasion.
Critics of the plan have rejected it, saying it had been accepted under US pressure as Israeli troops expanded their occupation of southern Lebanon.
