Israel-Lebanon Talks Grind On in Rome
Rare direct talks between Israel and Lebanon continued in Rome on Tuesday without agreement, and were set to run until Thursday, as the two sides discussed their border, the disarming of Hezbollah and the pullback of Israeli troops. Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, sharply rebuked Hezbollah, accusing it of dragging the country into “futile war adventures” and calling for “a state with one army”. Hezbollah’s leader had branded the talks a source of “shame”.
The seventh round of US-brokered negotiations reflects Washington’s drive to stabilise a border that has repeatedly erupted, and Beirut’s struggle to assert control over the heavily armed movement. Mr Salam’s unusually blunt criticism laid bare the deepening rift between Lebanon’s government and Hezbollah, whose weapons the state is under pressure to bring under control. The group insists disarmament amounts to surrender. Progress is slow, and any deal would have to survive fierce internal opposition. Watch whether the Rome track yields anything before it breaks up on Thursday.