Aoun says Israel is violating June framework agreement

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel is violating a US-mediated framework agreement reached in June, as he called for diplomacy and outlined Lebanon’s demands ahead of planned talks with US and Israeli representatives. Aoun said the agreement had not been implemented and that violations continued in southern Lebanon. His comments were reported in statements from the Lebanese presidency; the reports do not independently verify the alleged violations or include an Israeli response. He has said Lebanon remains committed to a diplomatic solution, which he described as less costly than renewed war. Lebanon plans to send a military delegation to a meeting in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday, October 20. Aoun said the delegation would present Lebanon’s demands for an end to Israeli escalation and seek outcomes consistent with the June framework. The planned meeting is to include representatives from Lebanon, Israel and the United States. The agreement calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of Hezbollah. Aoun said Israel had not complied with its provisions. The reports describe the agreement’s terms and...