A senior US official told Barak Ravid (N12) that the two-day Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome, with US mediation, ended on a positive and productive note. The sides agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be completed and implemented in the coming days. The talks will now move to expanded technical discussions focusing on implementing all areas of the framework agreement, aiming for a comprehensive deal between Israel and Lebanon.
The two-day round of Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome, which resumed Wednesday, concluded with a senior US official confirming to Barak Ravid (N12) that the sides agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process. The official said the pilot zones – a mechanism for phased Israeli withdrawal and Lebanese army deployment in southern Lebanon – will be finalized and implemented in the coming days. The talks will then shift to expanded technical discussions on implementing the full framework agreement.
This development follows a series of reports on Monday, July 13. At 20:35 Jerusalem, a senior US official told N12 that the day's talks were productive and would resume Wednesday. Around the same time, Al Jazeera reported that an agreement had been reached on two pilot zones, and Saudi-owned Al-Hadath cited Lebanese presidency sources saying the talks focused on two zones and described them as 'very constructive.' The convergence of these reports, with the US official's confirmation today, represents a solidification of the emerging framework.
The Rome round is the latest in a diplomatic process that began in Washington in late June, culminating in the signing of a trilateral framework agreement between Israel, Lebanon, and the US on June 27. As The Zioneer reported at the time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the framework deal 'the beginning of the beginning.' On July 10, the US ambassador to Beirut said the sides had moved to the implementation phase, with a US military delegation set to coordinate the mechanism.
The technical talks now set to begin will focus on the specifics of the pilot zones: the timeline, verification mechanisms, and the role of a third party. The full scope of a comprehensive agreement, including permanent border demarcation and security guarantees, remains to be negotiated in subsequent rounds.
14 developments
- StrongUS Ambassador: Israel and Lebanon Move to Implementation Phase of Agreement; Pilot Zone Within Days
- DevelopingUS official: MOU covers 'the entire region, including Lebanon,' confident Israel will join
- StrongIran says today's talks focus on monitoring MoU compliance, warns final deal hinges on ending Lebanon war
- DevelopingFull text of Israel-U.S.-Lebanon trilateral framework published
Source and signal
- Internal intake