Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Saturday that there are currently “no new negotiations with Israel,” reaffirming Beirut’s demand for an Israeli withdrawal, the return of prisoners and displaced people, and the reconstruction of areas damaged by Israeli attacks.
“There are no new negotiations with Israel at present,” Aoun told reporters during a visit to the southern city of Nabatieh, where he was accompanied by Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal and the heads of Lebanon’s security agencies.
A US official told Axios on Friday that the next round of Israel-Lebanon talks, initially scheduled to take place in Rome next week, had been postponed. Instead, the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors are expected to meet at the US State Department in Washington to discuss developments and the continued implementation of the June framework agreement.
Beirut reaffirms key demands
Aoun said Lebanon’s position remained unchanged, stressing that “the withdrawal, the return of prisoners and displaced people, and reconstruction are national principles that we pledge to implement,” according to the state-run National News Agency.
Direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began with a US-sponsored meeting in Washington on April 14. Previous rounds focused on the ceasefire deal, Israeli withdrawal, border issues, and prisoners and missing persons.
Lebanon and Israel signed a US-sponsored framework agreement in Washington on June 26, providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the deployment of the Lebanese army in areas occupied by Israeli forces.
The next formal round of negotiations is expected to take place in Rome in October, according to the US official cited by Axios.
Aoun visits war-damaged Nabatieh
During his visit to Nabatieh, Aoun inspected the government complex, which sustained extensive damage in Israeli air strikes, as well as the Lebanese Central Bank building, which was destroyed in the bombardment.
He also visited Nabatieh Hospital and praised medical staff for continuing to work under difficult conditions.
According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed nearly 4,400 people and injured around 12,500 since March 2.
Israel continues to occupy areas of southern Lebanon, including territory it has held for decades as well as locations seized during more recent wars and military aggression.
