Washington is optimistic about the direction of ongoing talks between Lebanon and Israel, a US State Department official told Al Arabiya English on Monday, describing the negotiations as moving in a positive direction despite significant challenges.
The latest round of discussions between the two countries concluded in Rome last week. US officials described the talks as constructive, although the first of the two scheduled days was cut short after Lebanon expressed frustration over continued Israeli strikes, while Israel accused the Lebanese side of leaking details of the discussions.
According to the State Department official, the two sides discussed mechanisms for third-party verification of the Lebanese army’s clearance operations. US officials also held separate bilateral discussions with the Lebanese delegation on providing timely assistance for reconstruction efforts.
An Israeli official told CNN that no date had been set for the next round of negotiations. However, the US official, speaking to Al Arabiya English on condition of anonymity, said the delegations are expected to meet again in Rome in early September. In the meantime, discussions will continue in Beirut, Jerusalem and Washington.
The official said pilot zones in southern Lebanon, along with a framework agreed earlier this year, are already being implemented.
“We feel good about the trajectory,” the official said, adding that working groups had made progress in aligning their language, maps and procedures.
The US-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism will also continue overseeing efforts to advance the pilot zones. Lt. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, the US military official leading the mechanism, is expected to visit Beirut soon to discuss expanding the zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces would assume responsibility, according to the Lebanese president.
Despite the progress, the US official acknowledged that significant obstacles remain.
“We are not naive about the difficulties,” the official said, warning that Hezbollah is seeking to undermine the process, while both Israel and Lebanon are facing domestic political pressures.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has repeatedly opposed direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel and called on the Lebanese government to abandon the talks. The group has also argued that the Lebanese government needs broader domestic support for the negotiations.
Nevertheless, the US official described the direct engagement between the two sides as an important development.
“The fact that the teams sat together, communicated directly, and generated options is itself a structural change,” the official said.
