Lebanon and Israel move closer to implementing withdrawal agreement after US mediated talks

Lebanon and Israel have moved closer to putting their withdrawal agreement into action after two days of talks held in Rome under the mediation of the United States. According to the US State Department, both sides reached an understanding on the structure and guidelines for introducing pilot zones in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are expected to withdraw and transfer security responsibilities to the Lebanese army. The plan is expected to be finalized and implemented in the coming days. Neither the Lebanese nor the Israeli government issued an official statement following the discussions.

The latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began after the Lebanese armed group launched rockets into Israel only days after Israel and the United States started military operations against Iran on February 28. The fighting later expanded into southern Lebanon where Israeli forces launched a ground operation and took control of a large part of the border region. Hezbollah has consistently opposed any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel and has rejected the current diplomatic process.

The latest talks follow a framework agreement announced by both countries on June 26. Under that agreement Israel would gradually withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon while the Lebanese army would take control of the area and work to remove Hezbollah’s military presence. The agreement also includes the possibility of future negotiations aimed at reaching a broader peace deal between the two countries which have technically remained in a state of war for decades.

The first stage of the plan focuses on the establishment of two pilot zones where Israeli troops are expected to leave and hand over control to Lebanese security forces. Although this phase was expected to begin earlier, progress had slowed before the latest negotiations in Rome.

Before the talks began, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun instructed his country’s delegation to insist on the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the proposed pilot zones before discussing any further steps. While the US statement did not identify the exact locations, officials from both Lebanon and Israel had earlier indicated that the plan would involve the towns of Froun, Ghandouriyeh and Zawtar.

The selection of these areas has sparked debate inside Lebanon because Israeli forces are not currently deployed across much of the territory included in the proposal. Critics questioned how a meaningful withdrawal could take place under those circumstances. The Lebanese army had reportedly preferred larger pilot zones that covered more territory currently occupied by Israeli forces.

The US State Department said that once the pilot zones are successfully implemented, technical discussions will continue with the goal of reaching a broader and more comprehensive agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The Lebanese government has also tried to keep these negotiations separate from wider discussions involving Iran, hoping to reduce Tehran’s influence over the process and deal directly with Israel on security issues.

Despite the diplomatic progress, major obstacles remain. Hezbollah has made it clear that it does not intend to follow the agreement and has ruled out any plans to surrender its weapons. Israeli officials have also indicated that they expect to maintain a military presence in parts of southern Lebanon for an extended period, creating uncertainty over how quickly the agreement can move forward.

US President Donald Trump also commented on the situation during an interview with Fox News. He said he would like to see Israel withdraw or redeploy its forces from southern Lebanon as well as areas of southern Syria currently under Israeli control. Trump said such steps could help lower tensions across the region and allow greater attention to be directed toward Iran, which he described as the main strategic challenge.

Trump also repeated his suggestion that Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa should deploy Syrian forces to confront Hezbollah inside Lebanon. However, al Sharaa has publicly rejected any military involvement in Lebanon and has stated that Syria wants to avoid becoming part of the wider regional conflict.