Despite ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, gaps remain on issue of disarming Hezbollah, sources say.
In southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah tunnel is destroyed by the IDFIDF spokesperson
Lebanese sources told the country’s Nidaa al-Watan newspaper that the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon regarding a ceasefire agreement were positive, and that discussions were held to set dates for additional diplomatic meetings between the sides.
The sources added that Washington invested its full weight in the first round of negotiations, but that the central gap that emerged Tuesday also accompanied Wednesday’s round of talks.
According to the report, the main point of dispute remains unchanged, as Lebanon insists on a full ceasefire, while Israel continues to demand, as a condition, the disarmament of the Hezbollah terror organization.
A joint statement issued following the second day of talks on Wednesday stated that the accord dictates that the implementation of the truce is directly “contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector.”
To enforce the peace, Israel and Lebanon agreed to “swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.” These stabilization steps are designed to lay the groundwork for “progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement.”
In a direct rebuke to external interference, the United States, Israel, and Lebanon “rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage,” while affirming that bilateral relations “must be decided by the two sovereign governments.”
Both nations “reaffirmed that they have no hostile intent toward one another and committed to continuing direct negotiations to build confidence.”
Earlier on Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said, “We take the initiative, operate, and strike every threat. The Israeli Navy is an active partner in the operation. There is no ceasefire for our troops; we are working to maximize the operational freedom granted to us and will seize every opportunity to remove threats to Israeli civilians and our troops.”
