Israel, Lebanon Hold ‘Working Level’ Talks in Florida

The meetings reviewed implementation of a framework agreement signed in June and discussed designated areas in southern Lebanon from which Israeli forces are expected to withdraw, according to diplomatic sources in Beirut.

The talks were part of U.S. efforts to monitor implementation of the agreement amid continued Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said last week that a military delegation would attend the U.S.-backed trilateral meeting to present Beirut’s demands for an end to Israeli escalation and seek outcomes consistent with the framework agreement.

Aoun made the remarks while meeting a French delegation led by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

Aoun also said Lebanon sought an extension of the mandate of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, and welcomed any arrangement that would ensure a continued international presence in the country’s south to prevent a security vacuum.