Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington extended after 11-hour session

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington were extended into Friday after 11 consecutive hours of talks failed to produce an agreement on the planned timetable. The Israeli embassy in the United States confirmed the talks, now in their fourth day, and the delegations are set to return to the State Department in the morning.

The American-mediated discussions are centered on Hezbollah’s future and new security arrangements in southern Lebanon. One idea under discussion is creating “pilot areas,” where security responsibility would be handed to the Lebanese army in specific locations after troops undergo screening and checks in the United States to rule out ties to the group.

The sides remain far apart. Lebanon is demanding a schedule for an Israeli withdrawal from areas currently held by the IDF, while Israel insists any deal must include the disarmament of Hezbollah and says it will not pull back until that condition is met. A State Department official said Thursday that Israel had already begun withdrawing from part of the buffer zone as a “goodwill gesture,” but an Israeli security source denied it.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said this week, “Even if there is an American demand, we will not withdraw from Lebanon,” adding that Israel will keep forces in place to monitor implementation on the ground. Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter described the talks earlier in the week as a “train wreck” and blamed Tehran’s influence and Washington’s parallel talks with Iran. At the same time, the United States is building a monitoring mechanism through U.S. Central Command, and CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper is expected in Israel to meet with IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Katz.