Lebanon awaits impact of US, Israeli elections on stalled talks

BEIRUT: Lebanese officials are waiting to see whether the political changes produced by elections in the US and Israel will improve the prospects of resuming direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

A planned eighth round of talks was suspended amid disagreements over the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, implementation of the US-brokered framework agreement reached in June and the mechanism that would verify compliance with its provisions.

Although Israel’s post-election political picture remains unresolved, the risk of a wider regional war appears to have receded as diplomatic efforts gain momentum.

However, a source close to Hezbollah told Arab News that the results of the US midterm elections were likely to “reduce the chances of a new round of direct negotiations in the near future.”