Israel opposes French and British involvement in force in Lebanon

Another round of talks between Israel and Lebanon is expected in Rome. Israel opposes the involvement of France and Britain in the international force that will oversee the removal of Hezbollah from pilot areas. The US wants to expand the withdrawal zones. More than 80% of the public in Lebanon supports the talks, according to an internal poll. Former US Ambassador David Hale said President Aoun is determined to disarm Hezbollah.

Another round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Rome. In the Kan News broadcast this evening (Thursday), it was reported that the goal of the round is to build the force that will ensure that the pilot areas are indeed cleared of Hezbollah presence. Israel opposes the involvement of France and Britain in the force, while the United States wants to expand the withdrawal zones that will be handed over to the Lebanese army. An internal poll conducted in Lebanon shows that more than 80% of the public in the country supports the negotiations with Israel. In an interview published last night on Kan News, former US Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale said that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is determined in his intention to disarm Hezbollah and not allow Iranian activity in his country. "I think Aoun and the people around him are committed to seeing this through. The president is a professional military man, and people like him have a long history of dealing with militias that challenged the authority of the army, it's not something they can tolerate," he said. "Aoun sees that thanks to the actions of the IDF he has an opportunity to put an end to the attempt to challenge the authority of the army and the state, and he is very committed to that," the former ambassador added, "He deeply believes that the stability of the country he loves depends on his success in getting rid of the presence of Iran and its influence and putting an end to Hezbollah as an independent militia."