Lebanon to send military officers to Tampa talks with Israel
Lebanon's presidency confirmed its delegation for the Oct. 20 meeting with Israel and the U.S. Hezbollah, meanwhile, refuses to give up its weapons.
Lebanon will send a military delegation to Tampa, Florida, to meet with Israeli and U.S. representatives on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Lebanon's presidency announced it on X on Saturday, Oct. 17. According to Reuters, as published by The Times of Israel, the Lebanese will bring their demands for an end to Israeli attacks in the country.
It is another round of the direct talks Beirut and Israel have held with Washington's mediation since a new war between Israel and the Shiite armed group Hezbollah broke out on March 2. The presidency accuses Israel of continuing attacks, demolitions and restrictions on access to land in the south, according to the Indian agency ANI.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was in Beirut those days. At that meeting, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun again asked that international peacekeepers stay in the country after their planned withdrawal in 2027, according to the outlets consulted. We previously reported that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam asked the United Nations for a force to succeed UNIFIL, the current peacekeeping mission.
A deal that depends on disarmament
The Tampa meeting centers on a framework agreement negotiated with U.S. backing. The Lebanese government promised to disarm Hezbollah; in exchange, Israel would withdraw its troops from Lebanese territory gradually. Hezbollah refuses to hand over its weapons while Israeli soldiers remain on Lebanese soil.
Israel says its strikes in the south target terrorist objectives, although it admits they clash with the agreement, according to the Reuters text. Each side points to the other as the one breaking it.
The reports consulted do not say who will be on the Lebanese delegation or what the agenda will be. Nor do they include the position of Israel or the United States on the meeting. The outcome will be known after Tuesday.
