Middle East
Lebanon and Israel to meet in Florida on Oct. 20; Beirut demands an end to strikes
President Joseph Aoun confirmed that a Lebanese military delegation will take part in the U.S.-backed trilateral meeting in Tampa.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 18, 2026, 14:00 · Updated 12:20 · 1 min read
In brief
- The Lebanon-Israel-U.S. trilateral meeting will take place on Tuesday in Tampa, Florida.
- Aoun accuses Israel of violating the U.S.-brokered framework agreement with its strikes in the south.
- Beirut wants international peacekeepers to remain even after their planned departure in 2027.
Lebanon will take part on Oct. 20 in a U.S.-backed trilateral meeting with Israel, to be held in the American city of Tampa, Florida. The announcement was made by the Lebanese presidency, while President Joseph Aoun clarified that Beirut will be represented by a military delegation.
According to Aoun, the delegation will present Lebanon's demands for an end to the Israeli escalation in the south of the country. He described the continuing strikes as a direct violation of the framework agreement reached through U.S. mediation, under which Beirut pledged to disarm Hezbollah in exchange for a gradual Israeli withdrawal.
Strikes continue in the south
Israel continues airstrikes and ground incursions in southern Lebanon, including demolishing homes and restricting farmers from reaching their land. The Israeli side argues that the Lebanese army is not yet able to take on the security role envisaged by the agreement and has criticized it for the slow pace of Hezbollah's disarmament.
Aoun said the continuing occupation and tensions on the border prevent the army from fully deploying in the border area. He expressed his wish that international peacekeepers remain beyond the 2027 departure deadline, or that another form of international presence be found that avoids a security vacuum.
Talks between the two countries have been stalled since August, after the end of the first phase of the Israeli withdrawal. The announcement came while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was visiting Beirut.
