US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel attend earlier talks at the White House in April [Getty]
The first day of the fifth round of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington concluded late on Tuesday, with negotiations described by Lebanese officials as “difficult and complex” amid ongoing disputes over Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon.
The opening session at the US State Department ended around midnight after nearly eight hours of discussions. Lebanese official sources familiar with the talks told The New Arab that negotiations would continue on Wednesday.
According to preliminary information obtained by TNA, discussions focused on security arrangements and the mechanism for Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Lebanese negotiators insisted that Israeli forces must withdraw from areas where the Lebanese army intends to deploy and implement its plan to place all weapons under state authority.
Lebanese officials said Israel was seeking to maintain a military presence in certain areas and along routes it considers strategically important until it is satisfied with the implementation of security measures by the Lebanese army.
The Israeli position has been reinforced by public statements from senior officials. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel would not withdraw from southern Lebanon “even if Washington asks us to do so”.
Israeli media reports meanwhile suggested that Israel is discussing only a limited withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon under a US-backed “pilot zones” proposal.
According to Israel’s Channel 13, Israeli officials are considering handing over control of a small number of areas to the Lebanese army while maintaining Israeli occupation elsewhere.
A senior Israeli official quoted by the broadcaster said Israel had recently occupied additional areas “for the sake of negotiations”, adding that any withdrawal would be limited and intended to give the United States an opportunity to test the pilot zones plan.
The proposal, which was also discussed during the Washington talks, would see Israeli forces withdraw from selected areas while the Lebanese army assumes responsibility for security.
Lebanese officials have repeatedly stressed that any arrangement must ultimately lead to a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory and the restoration of full Lebanese sovereignty.
A US official told The New Arab that State Department adviser Dan Haller and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs Daniel Zimmerman opened the talks with a joint political and military session, followed by a military meeting and a concluding political session.
“Our shared goal is to bring a permanent end to the cycle of violence,” the official said, adding that Washington was enabling Lebanon and Israel to negotiate as sovereign states and seek a path towards peace and security.
Earlier on Tuesday, President Joseph Aoun chaired a meeting attended by Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal and members of the advisory team accompanying the Lebanese delegation in Washington to follow developments in the negotiations.
Aoun said recent developments had confirmed the correctness of Lebanon’s decision to pursue negotiations, describing diplomacy as the only internationally recognised means of achieving national objectives and restoring rights.
“We have entered a new round of negotiations and hope it will be decisive in achieving what is best for our country and our people,” Aoun said. “That good lies in restoring Lebanon’s full sovereignty over every inch of its territory and extending state authority across all of our land.”
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meanwhile stressed the importance of securing Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory it continues to occupy, deploying the Lebanese army and enabling residents to return to their towns, cities and villages.
The latest round of talks comes despite Israel continuing to occupy parts of southern Lebanon seized during the war. Lebanese officials have consistently argued that any lasting arrangement must include a full Israeli withdrawal to internationally recognised borders, the deployment of the Lebanese army across the south and the return of displaced residents to their homes.
A senior Lebanese security official told Reuters that Wednesday’s discussions would include direct military-to-military talks focusing on withdrawal timelines and the proposed pilot zones, with any final framework expected to emerge after the conclusion of the talks on Thursday.
