Israeli official: Next talks with Lebanon to focus on standards, pace of disarmament pilot — report

Ahead of the sixth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon tomorrow in Rome, a senior Israeli official tells Channel 12 that the sides will discuss — and likely disagree over — the pace of a pilot program that will see the IDF withdraw from territory the Lebanese army clears of Hezbollah’s weapons.

“In Lebanon, they are trying to assert as much control as possible over the process, to enable the expansion of the pilot program in the future,” the official tells the network.

“As far as we’re concerned, as long as the first pilot doesn’t prove itself, there will be no further withdrawals,” continues the official, adding that there is a disagreement over the metrics to determine whether the Lebanese military has completed its mission and the IDF will withdraw.