A second day of talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials is taking place in Washington, D.C., despite ongoing Israeli attacks and ceasefire violations in Lebanon. Both delegations, including each country’s ambassador to the United States, arrived at the State Department on Friday morning for the continued discussions, marking the third round of direct negotiations between the two sides this year.
A U.S. official told Reuters that Thursday’s talks, which lasted eight hours, were “productive and positive,” but provided few details on what was discussed. The closed-door nature of the talks has left many questions unanswered.
Meanwhile, Israel launched new attacks on Lebanon on Friday, killing at least seven people in the south, according to the Lebanese state news agency NNA. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that 2,951 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, when fighting between Israel and Hezbollah reignited. Israel has also lost 20 troops, including one soldier killed in fighting with Hezbollah on Friday.
The two sides approach the talks from different positions. Lebanon insists that Israel fully end its attacks and occupation of its territory, while Israel focuses on the disarmament of Iran-backed Hezbollah and a potential normalization agreement. Despite these differences, the face-to-face nature of the talks is significant.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has so far refused a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, insisting on full implementation of the ceasefire before further negotiations. Hezbollah and its allies argue that the talks should have been indirect.
Friday’s attacks included a drone strike on a car in Nabatieh, killing two people collecting humanitarian aid and damaging three ambulances. Another drone attack in Harouf killed three, and two others died in Tabeen. Israeli strikes in Tyre district injured 37 people. Israel issued evacuation orders for five villages in southern Lebanon, claiming it was striking Hezbollah targets. Hezbollah said it carried out drone attacks on Israel and Israeli troops in Lebanon.
Source: www.aljazeera.com