The president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, held a meeting on Monday with the head of the negotiating delegation, Simon Karam, after recent meetings held in Rome with representatives of the United States and Israel, in which the situation between the two countries was addressed. During the meeting in Beirut, the head of state provided a series of indications to shape the Lebanese stance for the next phase of the negotiating process.
"General Joseph Aoun has received a report from the head of the negotiating delegation, former ambassador Simon Karam, regarding the meetings held last week in Rome between the Lebanese, American, and Israeli delegations, and has given directives for the next phase," the Presidency indicated in a brief statement.
The diplomatic movement comes after last week the seventh round of contacts was completed to try to put an end to hostilities, despite an agreement in April for a ceasefire that has not managed to completely stop Israel's military actions against its neighbor.
In application of the framework agreed upon last June under U.S. mediation, the Lebanese Army has positioned itself in several "pilot" areas in the south of the country, within a plan that includes the disarmament of the Shiite militia party Hezbollah and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces. However, Israeli troops have continued to carry out attacks in various points in the south.