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Rome talks and pilot zones
Lebanese and Israeli officials ended the sixth round of US-mediated talks in Rome on Wednesday, focusing on a plan to establish “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces would begin withdrawing.
A US official said, “We agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be finalised and implemented in the coming days,” as the talks moved under a US-brokered June 26 framework deal.
Under that framework, Israeli forces are to withdraw from large swaths of southern Lebanon they are occupying in exchange for disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, with the deal supposed to begin with two pilot zones where Israeli forces would turn over control to the Lebanese army.
The Al Jazeera report said the latest Israel-Lebanon talks marked the sixth round of face-to-face negotiations since the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted on March 2, and it cited Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health figures of “More than 4,000 Lebanese” killed and “more than a million displaced” by Israel’s war on Lebanon since March.
The same report said at least 32 Israeli soldiers and four Israeli civilians have been killed by Hezbollah, most of them in southern Lebanon, since Israel began its attacks.
Verification, Hezbollah objections
The Times of Israel said the Rome talks wrapped up without an exact timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from two small pilot zones, while Lebanese and Israeli officials discussed how to verify that pilot zones under Lebanese army control are free of Hezbollah weapons and fighters.
The Times of Israel reported that a State Department spokesperson called the two days “productive and positive,” and it quoted the spokesperson saying, “We agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be finalized and implemented in the coming days.”
Al Jazeera said Hezbollah rejects disarming and says only pressure from its ally Iran can secure an end to the war and Israel’s withdrawal, and it added that the direct talks have continued despite deadly Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
In Al Jazeera’s account, Sami Halabi of Badil: The Alternative Policy Institute said the pilot zone initiative will test “Israel’s willingness to withdraw from Lebanon” and the Lebanese army’s ability to reestablish its presence.
Halabi told Al Jazeera that “any misstep could lead us to an all-out conflict,” describing the negotiations and the June 26 agreement as a “very pivotal moment” that remains “very sensitive.”
Aoun to Washington and risks
As the pilot zone process remains unresolved, Al Jazeera reported that the latest negotiations and the June 26 agreement have led to a reduction in violence but progress remains shaky and could “fall apart at any time.”
“Lebanese and Israeli officials have ended another round of US-mediated talks, focusing on a plan to establish “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon from which Israeli forces would begin withdrawing”
The Times of Israel said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is slated to meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, and it reported that Aoun told visiting Lebanese Christian lawmakers in Beirut that “Washington has started to listen to us, with the Lebanese file now on the US president’s table.”
Al Jazeera said the direct talks have continued despite deadly Israeli strikes in Lebanon and strong objections from Hezbollah, and it described Hezbollah’s position that it has not participated in the US-mediated negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv.
Diari ARA framed the pilot zones as the first test of the agreement, saying that on paper Israel would gradually withdraw, the Lebanese army would take control, and the end of Hezbollah’s military presence would be guaranteed there, but it said implementation faced obstacles including Beirut asking for a clear timetable.
Diari ARA also reported that Deputy Hassan Fadlallah called the agreement “unworkable,” while it said Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted that Israel will remain in the so-called security zones as long as it considers there to be threats near its borders.
