Khaberni - Amidst the continuous blare of sirens following Hezbollah's rocket fire towards the northern settlements, a round of talks took place today (Tuesday) between Israel and the Lebanese government in Washington over the past two hours, chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
At the beginning of the meeting, Rubio said: "There are many people who have fallen victim to Iran's actions, and this aggression must stop. All the complexities of this issue will not be solved in the coming hours, but we will start moving forward and establish a framework for something positive and lasting, that secures the future the Lebanese people deserve, and enables the Israeli people to live in safety, without the destruction caused by rocket attacks launched by organizations allied with Iran."
He added, "We hope that the work we are doing today contributes to the start and success of this process. It's important to emphasize that this is an ongoing process, and not a one-time event. It will take time, but we believe that we can succeed in establishing a lasting framework for peace that benefits the residents of the region."
Concurrently with this historic event, Hezbollah intensified its rocket strikes on northern Israeli settlements.
Israeli media revealed that the army has divided southern Lebanon into three sections:
The first section from the border strip to "the yellow line": This area, extending approximately 7-8 kilometers from the border with Israel (also known as the tank line), will remain under the constant and intense presence of the Israeli army. The army will stay in this area until the complete dismantling of Hezbollah and the disarmament of all its weapons from it.
The second section between the yellow line and the Litani River: In this area, the Israeli army will continue to work on clearing it of Hezbollah elements and its infrastructure. The proposed model is gradual: after the completion of the clearing process, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the Lebanese army will take over the security responsibility according to Channel 14 Israel.
The third section north of the Litani River: In this area, the responsibility of disarming Hezbollah rests solely with the Lebanese army. There is a realistic recognition at the political level that this task is unlikely to be completed in the foreseeable future, but in return for recognizing this responsibility, the Lebanese government will agree to the continued Israeli presence in the southern security zone.
