An American official has confirmed the postponement of the next round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, originally scheduled to take place in Rome next week.
The official informed the U.S. news site "Axios" that the upcoming formal negotiations will now be held in Rome in October.
Instead, the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors will meet at the U.S. State Department headquarters in Washington to discuss recent developments and ways to implement the framework agreement between the two countries.
A source familiar with the matter explained that Jewish holidays, the Paris conference in support of the Lebanese army, and preparations for the U.N. General Assembly made it impossible for key participants to meet in Rome as initially planned.
On June 26, under U.S. sponsorship, Lebanon and Israel reached a framework agreement after five rounds of negotiations in Washington. The agreement particularly focuses on the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel's gradual withdrawal from the territories it occupies in southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army starting with two "pilot areas."
Following a U.S. and Israeli war against Iran in late February, Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, which prompted a war against Lebanon covering various parts of the country.
The conflict subsided after a memorandum of understanding was reached between Iran and the U.S. in June, followed by an agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
However, Israel has intensified its raids on southern Lebanon in recent days despite the ongoing U.S.-sponsored talks between the two countries.
The announcement of the talks' postponement comes a day after Israel destroyed a Hezbollah tunnel network beneath Ali Taher Heights in southern Lebanon.