Lebanese Official Reportedly Sees No Point in Further Israel Talks Before New Government

An unnamed Lebanese official reportedly said on November 12 that another meeting with Israel would serve no purpose before a new Israeli government is formed. The official, speaking to Lebanese media that evening, described the latest negotiating round in Florida as having made no substantive progress on the issues in dispute. According to the official's account, the United States requested the Florida round to keep contacts going during Israel's election period. Military representatives conducted most of the discussions, which reportedly ended without a breakthrough. Separately, an emerging international understanding led by the United States reportedly seeks to prevent a security vacuum in southern Lebanon. The discussions concern an international force to succeed UNIFIL, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The proposed force could be adapted to the framework agreement with Israel and its disarmament-verification mechanism. In a November 11 declaration following their Paris meeting, G7 foreign ministers said that "the disarmament of all non-state armed groups, foremost among them Hezbollah, remains essential". They urged Lebanon and Israel to advance pilot zones allowing full, verifiable Hezbollah disarmament, Israeli redeployment and Lebanese Armed Forces deployment. With UNIFIL's mandate expiring at the end of the year, they called for a lasting security architecture supporting the Lebanese army.