Israel and Lebanon Prepare for Rome Talks on Southern Border Security and IDF Withdrawal

Ahead of the sixth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Rome, Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yehiel Leiter, emphasized Israel's continued promotion of the "pilot zones" plan in southern Lebanon. However, he clarified that further progress and any Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) withdrawal depend on Hezbollah's disarmament and removal from the area. The United States and Lebanon are working to establish conditions for implementing the two pilot zones.

The Rome talks will be conducted at the ambassadorial level only, with no military representatives participating for the first time. Lebanon's government seeks to accelerate the Israeli withdrawal and assert control over more of its territory, while Israel demands a more thorough deployment of the Lebanese army in areas cleared of Hezbollah. Due to these differences, the current talks are intended as a bridging meeting ahead of a larger, more comprehensive session planned for next month.

Sources familiar with the negotiations said the discussions will focus on advancing the pilot zones mechanism, expanding Lebanese army deployment in southern Lebanon, and continuing security coordination under U.S. mediation. These talks occur amid Washington's efforts to stabilize the northern border and reduce Hezbollah and Iranian influence in Lebanon.

In a CBS interview, Leiter stated that if the pilot zones open to Lebanese army responsibility, Israel can proceed with withdrawal. If Hezbollah remains, Israel will maintain its positions. He stressed that the agreements aim to "remove Iran from the equation in Lebanon," noting that both Israel and Lebanon want Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon for security and sovereignty reasons. Leiter warned that without Hezbollah's disarmament, Israel will remain in its security zone to prevent threats similar to those posed by Iranian proxies like Hamas.

A Lebanese diplomatic source told Reuters that the Lebanese army is ready to gradually take control of villages vacated by the IDF. This follows a statement from the Lebanese presidency demanding an immediate start to Israeli withdrawal from the two pilot zones before further discussions.