Key Takeaways
- Lebanon and Israel concluded two days of positive talks in Rome.
- The talks focused on implementing pilot zones agreed under a recent framework deal.
- Both sides will now move to expanded technical talks for comprehensive agreement.
Lebanon and Israel have completed a new round of negotiations, mediated by the United States, in Rome. The talks concluded after two days of productive discussions, with both parties agreeing on the structure and guidelines for implementing pilot zones in southern Lebanon.
According to a US official statement shared by the US embassy in Beirut, 'Talks concluded after two days of productive and positive discussions.' The participants also agreed that these pilot zones will be finalised and implemented in the coming days. These negotiations follow five rounds of talks held in Washington, which led to the recent framework agreement.
The framework deal aims to end the state of war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, disarm the group, deploy Lebanese troops in the south, and allow for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the country, starting with two pilot zones. However, the agreement does not set a specific timetable for Israel's withdrawal, and Israeli officials have stated that their forces will remain in a 'security zone' 10 kilometres deep along the frontier as long as Hezbollah remains armed.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed readiness to move forward with implementing these two pilot zones. Lebanon and Israel, which do not have formal relations, started negotiations after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East war by attacking Israel in March. The framework agreement was reached following a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
A Lebanese military source told AFP that the Lebanese army has begun intensifying patrols in several villages adjacent to areas occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, including Froun in the Bint Jbeil district, as preparation for implementing the pilot zones provision. The talks in Rome came ahead of a planned visit by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington on July 21, at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.
The official statement from the US embassy highlighted that both sides will now move to expanded technical talks with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Lebanon. These discussions are expected to cover all areas of the Trilateral Framework deal, which seeks to address the complex issues between the two nations.
