Israel, Lebanon hold fresh Rome talks as Israel moves forward on two ‘pilot zones’

Israel and Lebanon resumed negotiations in Rome on Tuesday in a renewed effort to implement a US-brokered agreement aimed at ending hostilities along their border, with discussions expected to focus on a pilot withdrawal plan under which Israeli forces would pull back from parts of southern Lebanon and be replaced by the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he hoped the latest round of talks would help advance the implementation of two "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon, which are intended to serve as a test case for a broader Israeli withdrawal.

"We are ready to move forward implementing these two pilot zones. I hope and tend to believe that this round of discussions in Rome will promote it," AFP quoted Saar as telling reporters at a press conference in Jerusalem.

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The sixth round of negotiations marks the first direct engagement between the two sides since a framework agreement was signed in Washington last month. The deal, brokered by the United States, calls for a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, the deployment of Lebanese troops in vacated areas, and the disarmament of armed groups operating in the region.

Under the proposed pilot programme, the Lebanese Armed Forces would move into territory evacuated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and work to ensure the areas are free of Hezbollah weapons and military infrastructure. The pilot zones are viewed as a key test of whether a wider withdrawal can proceed.

Israel's delegation to the talks is being led by Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, while Lebanese officials are participating under instructions from Beirut to press for an immediate Israeli withdrawal from the designated pilot areas.

Breakthrough remains elusive

Despite the resumption of talks, expectations for a breakthrough remain modest.

A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 that the two sides were likely to clash over the pace and scope of the pilot programme.

"In Lebanon, they are trying to assert as much control as possible over the process, to enable the expansion of the pilot program in the future," the official said. "As far as we're concerned, as long as the first pilot doesn't prove itself, there will be no further withdrawals."

The official added that disagreements also remain over how to measure whether the Lebanese military has successfully fulfilled its responsibilities in areas vacated by Israeli forces.

The negotiations come amid continued US diplomatic efforts following the resumption of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2 as part of the wider regional crisis. Washington has played a central role in facilitating contacts between the two sides, despite opposition from the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

A US military delegation met Lebanese army officials in Beirut earlier this week to discuss the practical implementation of an Israeli withdrawal, while US Central Command (CENTCOM) has been coordinating preparations for launching the pilot zones.

Lebanese officials said the talks, being held at the US embassy in Rome over two days, would focus on translating the June 26 framework agreement into concrete steps on the ground.

According to a Times of Israel report, citing a Lebanese official, holding the talks in Rome would make it easier for both delegations to consult their governments during negotiations.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcomed the discussions, saying Italy was pleased to host efforts aimed at achieving a lasting 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 on Monday.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said his country's delegation had been instructed to seek the immediate commencement of Israeli withdrawals from the two pilot zones before discussions move further.

In comments released by his office, Aoun said he hoped the Rome talks would produce "tangible and practical steps on the ground." Lebanese negotiators are expected to push for a gradual and sequential Israeli withdrawal, with troops pulling back from one zone at a time.

Border security at heart of talks

Israel currently maintains what it describes as a "security zone" extending roughly 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory along the border. Israeli officials argue the deployment is necessary to protect northern Israeli communities from attacks by Hezbollah, while Lebanese authorities view the continued presence as an occupation that must end under the terms of the US-backed agreement.

The June 26 framework agreement envisaged a ceasefire, the deployment of Lebanese troops to the south, the disarmament of armed groups, and a progressive Israeli withdrawal. However, implementation has been slow, with Israeli strikes continuing and Hezbollah rejecting both the agreement and calls to disarm.

Israel has insisted that any further withdrawal will depend on guarantees that Hezbollah's military infrastructure is dismantled and that the Lebanese military can effectively prevent the group's return to evacuated areas.

The negotiations are also unfolding against a backdrop of renewed regional tensions involving Iran and the United States. Tehran had pushed for an end to the Lebanon conflict as part of understandings reached with Washington last month, but those arrangements have come under strain following a recent escalation in US-Iran hostilities in the Gulf.

Analysts say both sides are attempting to insulate the Lebanon negotiations from broader regional developments.

Orna Mizrahi of the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv said Iran was seeking to link developments in Lebanon to wider US-Iran tensions, but Israel preferred to keep the two tracks separate.

"The Iranians are using Lebanon as an excuse. They will always use it as an excuse," she told AFP.

Karim Bitar, a lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, said the risk of renewed large-scale fighting in Lebanon remained present but noted that Iran may be reluctant to open another front at a time of heightened regional tensions.

"I think that Iran today will think twice before asking Hezbollah to launch new strikes against Israel," he said, adding that Tehran likely sees Hezbollah as a long-term strategic deterrent rather than a tool for immediate escalation.

As talks continue in Rome, diplomats will be watching closely to see whether the pilot-zone proposal can build enough confidence between the two sides to begin implementing the broader withdrawal framework and reduce the risk of renewed conflict along the volatile Israel-Lebanon border.