Two days of US-brokered talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations in Rome concluded on Wednesday with an agreement on the structure and guidelines for a “pilot zone” process, a US State Department official confirmed. The accord, described by the American side as the outcome of “productive and positive” discussions, is designed to trigger the first concrete Israeli military withdrawals from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces into the vacated areas. The parties will now move to expanded technical talks aimed at implementing all elements of the trilateral framework sealed on 26 June, with the goal of reaching a comprehensive agreement between the two countries, which remain formally in a state of war.

According to Lebanese presidential sources, the negotiations focused on two mixed pilot zones—one where an Israeli occupation exists and from which forces would withdraw, and another on the periphery of occupied territory where the Lebanese army would reinforce its presence. The areas provisionally identified include Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, al-Ghandouriyeh, Burj Qalaway, Srifa and Froun. Baabda officials indicated that implementation could begin “within days or hours,” with a statement expected to set the start date before the end of the week. A virtual military meeting is scheduled for Friday to finalise the technical details and withdrawal timeline. The Lebanese side stressed that the return of civilians to their villages is a self-evident obligation on Israel, while any verification mechanism must respect Lebanese law and be confined to a third party—with UN bodies seen as the most practical option, though no final decision has been taken.

Israeli officials, speaking in Washington and Jerusalem, framed the pilot zones as a limited concession, noting that the selected areas lie outside the initial buffer zone established by the Israel Defense Forces. They insisted that any further withdrawal would be contingent on the successful disarmament of Hezbollah and the Lebanese army’s ability to assert control, with verification to be carried out by the United States, not by UNIFIL or UNTSO. An Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post that the two zones would test “the successful expression of Lebanese sovereignty” through the implementation of agreed conditions. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group that triggered the latest war by attacking Israel on 2 March, has rejected the framework agreement and stated it will not disarm, a position that underscores the fragility of the diplomatic track.

The 26 June framework, brokered after five rounds of talks in Washington, envisages an end to the state of war, the disarmament of militant groups, the deployment of Lebanese troops in the south, and a progressive Israeli withdrawal. The pilot zone mechanism is intended as a confidence-building first step before broader implementation. The talks in Rome, the sixth round of direct negotiations, took place against a backdrop of intermittent Israeli strikes and ongoing destruction in southern Lebanese villages. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is scheduled to visit Washington on 21 July, has described the framework as “the best possible” option and noted that Washington is now listening to Lebanese concerns. The dossier now moves to the technical level, with the virtual military meeting on Friday expected to lock in the operational details, while the political track will continue to seek a comprehensive accord that both sides acknowledge remains distant.