Rubio hopes for joint Israel-Lebanon statement after new round of talks
U.S. Secretary of State said Wednesday that he hopes the latest round of high-level political talks between Israel and Lebanon will result in a joint statement on ending hostilities.
In testimony before lawmakers that started Wednesday shortly after the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the U.S. began meeting at the State Department for a second day of negotiations, Rubio said the aim of the talks is to "produce a joint statement and an action plan on a track for security in that country, independent from Hezbollah, independent from nefarious influence."
"What we would like to see is a Lebanese armed forces with the strength and the capability to disarm Hezbollah and reclaim the entirety of the country," Rubio added.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which is not participating in the talks, has become a major sticking point in efforts to end the war in Iran.
Wednesday's discussion is the fourth between the two countries and follows a meeting focused on security issues that was held at the Pentagon on Friday.
The negotiations come days after U.S. President Donald Trump said the two countries had pledged to de-escalate.
But Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade fire, with Hezbollah claiming missile attacks on northern Israel Wednesday and Lebanon saying Israeli strikes in the south killed at least nine people, including two paramedics.
Source: Associated Press, Naharnet
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