Rubio praises progress in Israel-Lebanon talks

MANAMA: Israel and Lebanon are making good progress in their talks in Washington and are close to making a “commitment of intent,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
Three days of discussions between the neighbors, who earlier this year opened their first direct talks since the 1990s, are due to wrap up on Thursday.
“I think we are very close in our hopes of getting a commitment of intent between the two countries,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Bahrain.
“It’ll be a process, it’ll take some time, it’ll take a lot of work, but I can tell you that for the first time in 30 years, the sovereign government of Lebanon is speaking to the government of Israel directly.”
Israel launched widespread airstrikes in Lebanon and sent troops into the country’s south after Hezbollah, the powerful militia backed by Iran, entered the Middle East war on the side of its patron in March.
Under US pressure, Lebanese officials began direct talks in April with Israel in Washington.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed on Wednesday that the negotiations are separate to US peace talks with Iran.