The first round of direct Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Washington ended without achieving a decisive breakthrough, with the Lebanese delegation adhering to the priority of establishing a ceasefire before moving on to any other file, while American attempts emerged to present interim ideas aimed at breaking the existing stalemate in the talks.
Informed sources in Baabda confirmed to RED TV that “there has been no significant progress so far,” noting that the Lebanese delegation is still adhering to its position based on the necessity of first reaching a clear and sustainable ceasefire before discussing any additional arrangements or files.
The sources revealed that the American side is working to put forward new ideas that are currently being discussed, based on the principle of gradual implementation of Israeli withdrawal from specific areas and handing them over to the Lebanese army, within the framework of an approach aimed at building confidence between the parties and creating a breach in the negotiations.
According to the sources, one of the ideas proposed is to adopt a pilot model based on establishing a ceasefire within a specific area as a starting point, with the Lebanese army deploying there and taking full control of it, in preparation for evaluating the results and the possibility of expanding the experiment to other areas.
While the sources denied to “RED TV” the possibility of issuing a “declaration of intent” during today’s meeting, they indicated that the success of these ideas may open the door later to issuing a joint statement between the two sides that includes preliminary understandings and a road map for the next stage.
The first session of negotiations ended this afternoon, and the second round will resume after a short break, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his hope that the meeting would lead to a joint statement and an action plan. He also stressed that Washington wants to see the Lebanese army possess the capabilities and capabilities necessary to extend its authority over all Lebanese territory.
On the other hand, the Israeli ambassador in Washington accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire agreement against the backdrop of launching rockets towards Kiryat Shmona, at a time when American efforts continue to bring views closer and prevent the return of military escalation on the Lebanese front.
