The next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon has been delayed until October, the State Department said on Friday – contrary to Israeli media reports that negotiations would be held next week.
A US source familiar with the matter said the UN General Assembly, Jewish holidays and a conference in Paris in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces made the planned meeting impossible.
Instead, the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the US will meet in Washington next week to discuss ongoing developments and the continued implementation of the Trilateral Framework, a State Department official said.
Earlier, a Lebanese source close to the negotiations had cast doubt on the possibility of any talks taking place in Rome next week, contrary to media reports that they would be held on September 14 or 15.
“First of all, the Americans would inform us, not the Israelis. Second, we did not agree to any appointment because the Americans did not inform us of one,” the source told The National.
The source spoke to The National one day after Israeli forces bombed the Ali Al Taher ridge in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh district with more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives – placing further strain on an already stalled negotiating process.
Asked whether Lebanon would accept an offer of talks next week if Washington proposed it, the source answered: “The timing doesn’t suit us. The President has to prepare for the Paris conference.”
France is preparing to host a meeting in support of the Lebanese army that has been pushed back by the regional war.
The cold Lebanese message is the latest indication of growing disillusionment with the US-brokered framework between Lebanon and Israel to end hostilities. Little progress has been made beyond establishing two “pilot zones” for Israel to withdraw from – one where there was no Israeli military presence in the first place, and another where Israeli troops occupied only the outskirts.
But the US has maintained that the tripartite framework is “the only viable mechanism to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and Israel’s security”.
Meanwhile, the talks have failed to halt Israeli military advances in southern Lebanon, while discussions have stalled over how a verification committee could ensure the deal is adhered to. Under the framework, the Lebanese army is to take control of areas from which Israeli forces have withdrawn and where Hezbollah is disarmed.
“In some places, [the negotiations] may have stopped [the Israelis] from attacking Dahiyeh and Beirut, but it hasn't stopped them at all in south Lebanon,” the Lebanese source told The National.
They added that developments at Ali Al Taher, as well as the broader escalation on the ground, would inevitably affect any future negotiations.
Lebanese officials have previously communicated a feeling of being “trapped” in a negotiating process not in their favour, but which they have little choice but to see through.
The latest Israeli operations have raised concerns in Lebanon over the unchecked scope of Israel's military presence in the south. Israeli forces have continued operations in areas beyond the boundaries of the security zone previously established by Israel, while strikes and demolitions have continued alongside the negotiations.
Israel is prepared to expand its campaign by “striking Hezbollah” at “additional locations” after demolishing tunnels built by the Iran-backed group in southern Lebanon, Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a video message on Friday.
“Now there is a strong security zone, stronger than ever before, which protects the communities from attack and direct fire, and enables us to maintain control and threaten Hezbollah deep inside the area,” Mr Katz said.
Despite the advance at Ali Al Taher and its proximity to Nabatieh, the Lebanese source said the US had offered Lebanon’s leadership no new reassurances following the operation.
Thomas Watkins contributed to this report from Washington
