Lebanon, Israel agree 'structure and guidelines for pilot zone process'
The talks between Lebanon and Israel have concluded in Rome and there is a possibility of another round of virtual military talks between the two countries on Friday to discuss the implementation of pilot zones, media reports said on Wednesday.
"Talks concluded after two days of productive and positive discussions," a U.S. official said in a statement shared by the U.S. embassy in Beirut, adding that the participants "agreed on the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process, to be finalized and implemented in the coming days".
The U.S.-brokered negotiations took place in the Italian capital over the framework agreement sealed last month after five rounds of talks in Washington, with Lebanese negotiators hoping for progress on an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The deal seeks an end to the state of war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, disarmament of the Iran-backed militant group, the deployment of Lebanese troops in the south and for Israeli forces to steadily withdraw from the country, starting with two "pilot zones".
But the agreement, rejected by Hezbollah, does not set a timetable for Israel's withdrawal.
Israeli officials have also vowed that their forces will remain in a "security zone" 10 kilometers deep along the frontier for as long as Hezbollah remains armed.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said his country was "ready to move forward implementing these two pilot zones".
The official said they will now "move to expanded technical talks, which will focus on implementing all areas of the Trilateral Framework with the aim of reaching a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Lebanon".
A Lebanese military source meanwhile told AFP that the Lebanese army has begun intensifying patrols in several villages adjacent to areas occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, including Froun in the Bint Jbeil district, in preparation for implementing the pilot zones provision.
The framework agreement was reached following a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.
Israel still launches occasional strikes in southern Lebanon and carries out detonations in villages it occupies near the border.
The talks in Rome came ahead of a planned visit by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Washington on July 21, at the invitation of his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.
