ROME: Lebanon and Israel opened a new round of US-mediated negotiations in Rome, with Lebanon seeking a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from the country’s south under a framework agreement reached earlier this year.
Delegations from both countries arrived at the US Embassy in the Italian capital for talks scheduled to continue through Thursday. The discussions mark the seventh round of negotiations since Hezbollah’s cross-border rocket attacks in March drew Lebanon into the wider regional conflict.
The latest talks build on a framework agreement reached in Washington in June that calls for the gradual disarmament of Hezbollah, a phased Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to designated “pilot zones” as confidence-building measures.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the government is working toward successive Israeli withdrawals that would ultimately lead to a full military pullout from Lebanese territory.
A US State Department official said the Rome negotiations will focus on expanding the pilot zone process, resolving remaining border disputes and advancing a broader peace and security agreement.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem criticized the direct negotiations, saying they would bring “nothing but shame, humiliation, and successive compromises” for Lebanon. He also accused President Joseph Aoun of abandoning his role as a neutral national figure.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani urged both sides to continue negotiations in a constructive spirit to ensure full implementation of the framework agreement.
Following the previous round of talks, Israeli forces withdrew from the outskirts of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, one of the first pilot zones, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy and residents to begin returning to inspect their homes.
Despite a decline in violence since the June framework agreement and a preliminary US-Iran understanding on the regional conflict, Lebanon continues to report intermittent Israeli airstrikes, shelling and demolitions in southern border villages.
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Analysts say the success of the agreement will depend on both Israel’s willingness to continue withdrawing from occupied areas and the Lebanese state’s ability to deploy its army and address Hezbollah’s armed presence.
