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Israeli-Lebanese Talks in Washington Stall Over Tel Aviv's Obstinacy: Fear of Negotiations Derailment Looms
🇩🇿 Algeria /Elections & Politics

Israeli-Lebanese Talks in Washington Stall Over Tel Aviv's Obstinacy: Fear of Negotiations Derailment Looms

From El Watan · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire talks in Washington are nearing their end amid precarious calm, with a full Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon being the main point of contention.
  • The negotiations, initiated under the Trump administration, face complications from Iran's influence and recent US criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
  • Disagreements persist over the scope of withdrawal, with Lebanon and Hezbollah demanding a complete pullout while Israel proposes partial withdrawal from "demilitarized pilot zones."

The fifth round of ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, held under U.S. auspices in Washington, is set to conclude after three days of discussions, overshadowed by a fragile calm. The central issue dominating the talks is the demand by Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah for a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from South Lebanon, a condition Israel firmly opposes.

Represented by their respective ambassadors in Washington, the parties are engaged with U.S. officials, including State Department advisor Dan Holler and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Dan Zimmerman. These negotiations originated from the Trump administration's initiative to separate Lebanon from the broader conflict with Iran. However, Tehran's insistence on a comprehensive ceasefire, including in Lebanon, as part of its memorandum of understanding with Washington has complicated matters for Israel, particularly following strong remarks from Donald Trump and his vice president against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bombing Beirut on the day the Iran-U.S. memorandum was signed.

We are in a train wreck.

— Yechiel LeiterIsraeli Ambassador to the U.S., describing the impact of the Iran deal on the negotiations.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, publicly criticized the Trump administration's inclusion of a Lebanon ceasefire in the preliminary Iran deal. He described the situation as being "in a train wreck." Israeli media reports indicate that discussions on Tuesday included a "partial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon," noting that Israel had recently gained territory to strengthen its negotiating position before a potential withdrawal.

Israel had previously agreed with Lebanon to withdraw from "demilitarized pilot zones" to place them under Lebanese army control. This proposal was immediately rejected by Hezbollah and a significant portion of the Lebanese political class, who insist on Israel's complete withdrawal from occupied territories before any negotiations proceed. This fundamental disagreement has led to the failure of numerous previous ceasefire attempts, including one in November 2024.

When direct negotiations between his country and Lebanon began, 'we all got on the same train (…). We were sitting in the

— Yechiel LeiterIsraeli Ambassador to the U.S., commenting on the initial stages of the negotiations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Watan in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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