Sept 13 (Reuters) – Israel and Lebanon will meet in Rome in October to discuss a U.S.-brokered security agreement intended to ease hostilities along the border, a State Department Official told Reuters.
The continued implementation of the deal “remains the only viable mechanism to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and Israel’s security,” the official said, adding that the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors will meet in Washington next week.
The seventh round of negotiations in the Italian capital ended in August without a breakthrough on key territorial issues.
Hezbollah and Israel returned to war on March 2 amid the wider regional conflict.
Israel’s military is occupying what it describes as a “buffer zone” about 10 km (6 miles) into Lebanon along the entire length of the Israeli border. Israeli officials say the zone is necessary to protect northern Israeli communities from attacks launched by Hezbollah.
More than 4,300 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since March, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
(Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Writing by Yasmine Ghania; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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