ROME: Lebanon and Israel resumed talks on Tuesday in the Italian capital, with Beirut hoping for progress towards securing an Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon under a US-brokered deal, although expectations for swift progress were low.
Israel's military is occupying what it describes as a "buffer zone" about 10 km into Lebanon along the entire length of the Israeli border. Israeli officials say the zone is necessary to protect northern Israeli communities from attacks launched by Hezbollah. A meeting in Washington on June 26 produced an agreement that called for an end to the Lebanon conflict, the disarmament of groups — an apparent reference to Hezbollah — as well as the deployment of Lebanese troops to the south and the progressive withdrawal of Israeli forces. But deadly Israeli strikes have continued and Hezbollah has rejected the agreement as well as efforts to disarm it.
The talks, set to last two days at the US Embassy in Rome, will aim to set out how to implement the framework deal, Lebanese officials said. One of the officials said moving the talks to Italy would make it easier for both countries' delegations to consult their governments for guidance as they negotiate. — Reuters
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