Rome (Lamaane.net) – Representatives of Lebanon, Israel, and the United States concluded the first day of direct negotiations in Rome on Tuesday, July 14, focusing on implementing a framework agreement that includes an initial Israeli military withdrawal from two designated areas in southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The U.S.-mediated negotiations, held in the Italian capital, follow five previous rounds of discussions in Washington that produced a framework agreement last month aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.
Lebanese negotiators entered the talks seeking immediate progress on the withdrawal of Israeli forces, with the Lebanese presidency stating on Monday that its delegation had been instructed to demand the prompt withdrawal from the two pilot areas before discussing any other issues.
A U.S. State Department official described Tuesday's discussions as "productive” and conducted in "a positive atmosphere,” adding that "both sides are eager to move forward” and confirming that negotiations will resume on Wednesday.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said during a press conference on Tuesday that Israel was prepared to proceed with the withdrawal plan in the two pilot zones. "We are ready to move forward in these two experimental areas,” Saar said. "I hope, and I believe, that this round of discussions in Rome will help achieve that.”
Lamaane News Network notes that the negotiations are centered on implementing the framework agreement rather than reopening its core provisions. According to information released by the Lebanese presidency, the Lebanese Armed Forces are expected to assume responsibility for areas vacated by Israeli troops as part of the initial phase of implementation.
The framework agreement was reached after the outbreak of war between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah on March 2, amid the wider regional conflict in the Middle East. It provides for an end to the war in Lebanon, the disarmament of Hezbollah, the deployment of the Lebanese army across the south, and a phased Israeli withdrawal beginning with two pilot locations.
Ahead of the Rome meetings, a U.S. military delegation held discussions with the Lebanese army leadership on mechanisms for implementing the first withdrawal phase, according to a Lebanese military source cited by Agence France-Presse.
Security conditions in southern Lebanon remain fragile despite a reduction in cross-border exchanges since June. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that an Israeli airstrike on the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa on Tuesday wounded two people, underscoring continuing tensions during the diplomatic process.
The framework agreement does not establish a fixed timetable for Israel's withdrawal. Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that forces will not leave a proposed 10-kilometer security zone along the border until Hezbollah is disarmed, a condition that continues to represent one of the principal challenges facing implementation of the agreement and future stability along the frontier.
