Israel, Lebanon hold indirect talks under US framework in Rome

Lebanon and Israel resumed indirect talks in Rome on Tuesday, July 14, seeking progress toward implementing a U.S.-brokered framework that envisions an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, though expectations for a rapid breakthrough remain limited.

The negotiations come amid renewed diplomatic efforts led by Washington following the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2, part of a broader regional escalation. Despite the diplomatic push, Hezbollah — backed by Iran — has strongly opposed the process, maintaining that only pressure from Tehran on Washington can secure a cessation of hostilities and an Israeli withdrawal.

Iran, which last month signed an interim agreement with the United States, had demanded an end to the Lebanon war as part of that arrangement. However, the deal has come under strain in recent days due to renewed U.S.-Iran tensions in the Gulf.

A prior meeting in Washington on June 26 produced a framework agreement calling for an end to the conflict, the disarmament of militant groups — widely understood to refer to Hezbollah — the deployment of Lebanese armed forces to the south, and a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops.

However, Israeli strikes have continued, and Hezbollah has rejected both the agreement and any disarmament proposals. Israel, for its part, has stated that its forces will remain in southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah retains its weapons.

Talks this week are being held at the U.S. Embassy in Rome over two days. Lebanese officials said the Italian venue was chosen to facilitate closer coordination between negotiating teams and their respective governments during the discussions.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome had offered to host the talks to support efforts toward a sustainable ceasefire. “We are also very pleased that Rome can serve as the venue for these meetings. In this way, our capital becomes a capital of peace,” Tajani said ahead of a European Union meeting in Brussels.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed hope that the negotiations would produce “tangible and practical steps on the ground” to implement the agreement, including the start of an Israeli troop withdrawal to enable the Lebanese army to deploy in the south.

According to a Lebanese official, Beirut’s delegation will advocate for a phased and sequential Israeli withdrawal “one zone after another,” under a proposed “pilot zone” mechanism. The plan предусматривает that Hezbollah would disarm in designated areas, Israeli forces would withdraw, and Lebanese troops would deploy incrementally across southern Lebanon.

The June 26 agreement identified two such zones as an initial step. A U.S. official said last week that U.S. Central Command (Centcom) is coordinating with both parties to operationalise the pilot zones. A U.S. military delegation visited Lebanon over the weekend to discuss the plan in detail with Lebanese armed forces, sources said.

By Tamilla Hasanova