Lebanon Eyes Progress in Israel Talks Despite Border Escalation

BEIRUT- Lebanon will enter a seventh round of U.S.-mediated negotiations with Israel in Rome on Tuesday amid cautious optimism that progress can be made on Israeli withdrawals from southern Lebanon, even as military activity along the border continues to undermine confidence in the process.

The Lebanese delegation, led by Ambassador Simon Karam, arrived in Rome on Monday for the talks. The delegation includes Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, a six-member military team, presidential legal adviser Antoine Sfeir and legal expert Najib Messihi, who previously participated in negotiations that demarcated the maritime boundary between Lebanon and Israel.

A Lebanese official familiar with the negotiations said Beirut remained committed to the existing U.S.-brokered framework agreement and saw no viable diplomatic alternative despite continued Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon. The official said Lebanon would seek additional Israeli withdrawals from occupied southern towns before discussing other issues during the negotiations.

According to the official, Lebanon intends to present evidence that Israel has not fully implemented commitments under the first phase of the pilot-zone arrangement while continuing military operations in the area.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, who is not participating in the Rome talks, said further technical work was required before additional phases of the agreement could be implemented. He said both governments needed to establish a clear and practical mechanism to ensure civilian safety before expanding the pilot-zone initiative.

Ahead of the negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s adviser Dmitry Gendelman said further progress under the framework agreement depended on concrete steps to disarm Hezbollah. He said Israeli military operations along the northern border would continue as long as Israel viewed Hezbollah as a security threat.

Lebanese media reported that negotiators could discuss proposals for Israeli withdrawals from areas including Bint Jbeil, Khiam and Nabatieh Al-Fawqa as part of a second phase that would allow the Lebanese army to deploy there.

The Lebanese army has already deployed in several areas, including Zawtar Al-Gharbiyah, Froun and Srifa, as part of the initial pilot-zone plan.

A Lebanese military source said the army had fulfilled its responsibilities during the first phase, including engineering work and deployments, but alleged that Israeli violations had continued. The source said Israeli gunfire, which had previously occurred near Lebanese positions, was now directly targeting troops inside the pilot zone, while explosions and explosive devices placed near military positions had increased security concerns.

The source also said the Lebanese army does not publicly disclose details of weapons or military equipment discovered during its deployments.

Abdel Ezzeddine, mayor of Zawtar Al-Gharbiyah, said the Lebanese army was coordinating closely with local authorities to restore essential services, reopen roads and facilitate the return of displaced residents. He described the army as the principal guarantor of stability and civilian confidence in the area.

Israel has characterized the pilot-zone arrangement as a test of the Lebanese state’s ability to establish exclusive security control in areas from which Israeli forces withdraw. Israeli authorities have also sought assurances that no armed groups other than the Lebanese state would operate in those areas.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Lebanese army had discovered a Hezbollah weapons depot within one of the pilot zones and that the tripartite coordination mechanism involving the United States, Lebanon and Israel had been informed.

Meanwhile, military activity continued in southern Lebanon on Monday. Large explosions were reported near Mansouri and Majdal Zoun. A security source said one blast targeted a Hezbollah tunnel and involved an estimated 80 tonnes of explosives. On Saturday, Israel said it destroyed another Hezbollah tunnel network near Beaufort Castle using an estimated 700 tonnes of explosives, with the blasts felt across parts of southern Lebanon, Mount Lebanon and Beirut.

Lebanese army commander General Rodolphe Haykal reiterated over the weekend that the military remained committed to defending Lebanon’s sovereignty and supporting the return of displaced residents. Hezbollah lawmaker Hussein Hajj Hassan, meanwhile, rejected Israeli demands that the group disarm, saying Hezbollah would not surrender its weapons and warning against any foreign force attempting to impose such a measure.