Israel, Lebanon edge toward intent deal amid ongoing talks, says Rubio

Israel and Lebanon are close to signing a declaration of intent that could outline the next steps toward a broader settlement between the two sides, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated.

Speaking to journalists in Bahrain, Rubio said: “Today will be the third day of three days of talks between the Lebanese authorities and the Israeli authorities. I think we had a very good day yesterday. I think we are very close in our hopes of getting a commitment of intent between the two countries that I think begin to outline a promising future. It'll be a process. It'll take some time. It'll take a lot of work.”

He added that, for the first time in 30 years, the Lebanese government is directly engaging in talks with the Israeli government.

The Secretary of State also said that the United States has reactivated a monitoring mechanism under which US Central Command (CENTCOM) coordinates with Israeli and Lebanese forces to verify incidents on the ground.

By Jeyhun Aghazada