ROME, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Israel and Lebanon concluded two days of U.S.-mediated talks on Wednesday in Rome, making progress on implementing a framework agreement reached last month while leaving major political and security differences unresolved.
The negotiations, held at the U.S. Embassy in the Italian capital, marked the sixth round of direct contacts between the two sides since fighting resumed earlier this year.
WHAT WAS ACHIEVED?
The talks focused on implementing the framework agreement reached in Washington on June 26.
According to media reports, the two sides agreed on the framework for launching two "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops would gradually withdraw and hand over control to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). They also agreed to continue negotiations in a future round.
Italy's Agenzia Nova reported that the discussions clarified the sequence of Israeli troop withdrawals, the deployment of the Lebanese army, Hezbollah's disarmament and mechanisms to verify that the transferred areas remain under the effective control of the Lebanese state.
The pilot zones are intended to test whether the Lebanese army can establish lasting control before the mechanism is expanded to other parts of southern Lebanon.
WHY NOW?
The Rome talks are part of broader diplomatic efforts to ease tensions following renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The June 26 U.S.-brokered framework agreement called for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups, widely understood referring to Hezbollah.
However, significant differences remain. Israel said its withdrawal depends on verifiable guarantees that Hezbollah will not return to the affected areas, while Hezbollah insists Israel must first complete its withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
Diplomats view the pilot-zone arrangement as an incremental confidence-building measure rather than a comprehensive political settlement. If successful, it could provide a model for expanding Israeli withdrawals and Lebanese army deployment elsewhere in southern Lebanon.
WHY ROME?
Although the talks were mediated by the United States and held at the U.S. Embassy, Italy offered to host the negotiations.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said Rome's role reflects Italy's commitment to supporting peace efforts in the Middle East.
Analysts note that Italy maintains working relations with both Israel and Lebanon and is the largest European contributor to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Agenzia Nova reported that Rome is regarded by both sides as a reliable and politically acceptable venue, reflecting Italy's longstanding engagement in Lebanon and its role in supporting regional stability.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
The next phase will focus on putting the pilot-zone plan into practice and determining whether the framework agreement can be implemented on the ground.
According to Agenzia Nova, the two sides agreed to continue negotiations in a new round, while the implementation of the first two pilot zones is expected to serve as a model for extending the mechanism to other parts of southern Lebanon if the initial phase proves successful.
Analysts say the success of the pilot zones will be a key test. If the Lebanese army can effectively secure the transferred areas, dismantle military infrastructure and prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing a presence, the mechanism could gradually be extended to other parts of southern Lebanon.
However, with Israel linking a broader withdrawal to Hezbollah's disarmament and Hezbollah continuing to reject that condition, diplomats expect negotiations to proceed incrementally rather than produce a comprehensive settlement in the near future.
