BEIRUT — Following two days of U.S.-facilitated negotiations in Rome, Lebanon and Israel have made progress toward establishing so-called “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops would pull back and transfer control to the Lebanese military, the U.S. State Department announced Wednesday.
The State Department described the discussions as “productive,” saying both parties “agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be finalized and implemented in the coming days.” Neither Lebanon nor Israel issued an immediate response to the announcement.
The two countries had previously announced a “framework agreement” on June 26 outlining a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from large portions of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy. In return, the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah would be required to disarm.
Under that deal, the process was supposed to kick off with two pilot zones where the Israeli military would hand over control to the Lebanese army, which would then clear those areas of any Hezbollah presence. However, progress on the ground had stalled before this week’s Rome meetings.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is scheduled to travel to Washington on July 21, said ahead of the Rome talks that his country’s delegation had been instructed “to demand the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the two pilot zones before any further discussions.”
Wednesday’s State Department statement did not identify the specific locations of the pilot zones. Lebanese and Israeli officials had previously indicated they would include the towns of Froun, Ghandouriyeh, and Zawtar.
The chosen zones have sparked some debate within Lebanon. Critics pointed out that Israeli troops were not even present in most of the selected areas to begin with, raising questions about how a meaningful withdrawal could occur. The Lebanese army had pushed for larger pilot zones that covered more territory actually occupied by Israeli forces.
The current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began when Hezbollah launched missiles across the border on March 2, two days after the U.S. and Israel carried out strikes against Iran. Hezbollah and Iran had sought to tie any end to the Lebanon conflict to the outcome of broader U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks, while the Lebanese government worked to keep those tracks separate and negotiate a ceasefire directly with Israel.
The June 26 agreement also lays the groundwork for a potential peace deal between Lebanon and Israel — two countries that technically remain at war nearly 80 years after Israel’s founding.
Looking ahead, the State Department said that once the pilot zones are implemented, “We will move to expanded technical talks … with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Lebanon.”
Despite the diplomatic movement, Hezbollah has strongly opposed the direct Lebanon-Israel negotiations, saying it will not honor the agreement and has no intention of disarming. Israeli officials, for their part, have publicly stated plans for a prolonged military presence in southern Lebanon.
