Lebanon-Israel Fifth Negotiation Round Begins in Washington

Washington is set to host the fifth round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on Tuesday, continuing efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement reached in the previous round under U.S. sponsorship. The talks will involve the ambassadors of both countries and three officers holding the rank of Brigadier General.

During the prior negotiation round, Lebanon and Israel agreed to enforce a ceasefire and accelerate the establishment of pilot zones where the Lebanese Armed Forces would have exclusive control over the territory, excluding all armed groups not affiliated with the state.

On Monday, the Lebanese presidency stated that President Jozef Aoun held a phone conversation regarding efforts to maintain the ceasefire and restrain Israeli military escalation with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and White House envoy Jared Kushner.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation "Kan," the Washington talks will follow a similar format to previous rounds, aiming to finalize initial details for the withdrawal of Israeli army forces from southern Lebanon as part of the Lebanese army’s pilot deployment phase.

The broadcaster noted that the possibility of a phased Israeli withdrawal "has been taken into consideration," citing Israeli sources.

These developments coincide with the U.S. approval two days ago to establish a mechanism to monitor violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

Following a security meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the army chief issued a joint statement affirming that Israeli forces will continue to maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon.

Separately, a U.S. State Department official reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted two calls on Friday with Lebanese President Jozef Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning the consolidation of the ceasefire and future negotiations.

As a result of these communications, the United States initiated a monitoring mechanism through the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to provide American decision-makers with accurate and immediate information about fighting in Lebanon.

The Lebanese presidency confirmed in a statement on the platform X on Friday that Aoun discussed with Rubio "the situation in Lebanon and the region in light of recent developments."

The Lebanese presidency added that Rubio assured Aoun of the United States’ support for Lebanon, working to achieve security and stability, extend state authority over all its territory, and back its legitimate, security, and military institutions, foremost among them the army.

Symbolic Withdrawals

On Monday, CNN cited an Israeli source stating that Israel is considering announcing "symbolic withdrawals" from certain areas it occupies in southern Lebanon as part of the upcoming talks with Lebanese officials in Washington under U.S. auspices.

The source explained that this idea was discussed three days before the scheduled meetings between Israel and Lebanon and involves withdrawing forces from limited zones behind the so-called "Yellow Line," which marks the boundary of Israeli-occupied areas following the ceasefire in April.

The Israeli source added that this step might be presented as a "gesture of goodwill" toward the Lebanese government, aiming to prioritize the diplomatic track and separate the Lebanese issue from ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations.

In Lebanon, the Health Ministry’s Emergency Operations Center reported that the cumulative toll of casualties and injuries from the Israeli aggression since March 2 until June 22 reached 4,175 victims and 12,164 wounded.