Overview
- U.S.-mediated ambassador-level talks in Rome concluded Wednesday with officials saying negotiators agreed on the structure and guidelines for implementing two pilot zones in southern Lebanon.
- The pilot zones would see Israeli forces withdraw, the Lebanese Armed Forces deploy and non-state fighters disarmed as a conditions-based test before wider pullbacks.
- U.S. officials said technical teams will now finalize boundaries and verification measures in the coming days, but neither Lebanon nor Israel issued public confirmations of final details.
- Hezbollah has rejected the framework and refuses to disarm, while Israel publicly says it will not withdraw unless the group is removed from the designated areas.
- Implementation remains fragile because of disputes over sequencing, zone maps and verification, continuing Israeli strikes on the ground, and the need for U.S. military coordination to avoid security vacuums.