Lebanon Seeks Israeli Withdrawal as US-Mediated Talks Begin in Rome

Delegations from the United States, Lebanon, and Israel are commencing an extensive round of negotiations in Rome aimed at advancing security arrangements along the Israel-Lebanon border. A US official noted the talks are entering with strong momentum following the launch of the first pilot zone in southern Lebanon and a positive meeting last week between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and US President Donald Trump. Lebanon views the deployment of its army in this initial pilot area as a success and aims to expand its military presence to additional zones from which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would withdraw.

Washington and Jerusalem have yet to provide a full assessment of the Lebanese army’s activities, particularly regarding efforts to prevent Hezbollah militants from returning to these pilot zones. This evaluation is crucial for considering further Lebanese military deployments, with the core principle remaining a reciprocal "step-by-step" process: Lebanese success in exchange for Israeli withdrawal. Reports indicate the Lebanese army has complied with US and Israeli demands, avoiding last year’s mistakes south of the Litani River, where Hezbollah concealed weapons and smuggled new equipment.

Meanwhile, Lebanon has tightened controls at Beirut’s international airport and maritime ports to prevent arms smuggling from Iran, though the Lebanon-Syria border remains a significant challenge. US assessments highlight Iran and Hezbollah’s entrenched presence in Syria and the open border as enabling extensive smuggling operations.

Another complex humanitarian issue on the agenda is the matter of prisoners, detainees, missing persons, and the return of bodies. Lebanon demands the release of Hezbollah militants held in Israeli prisons and the return of bodies from clashes with the IDF. Israel counters with information about Jewish individuals kidnapped in Beirut during the 1980s civil war, many of whom were killed and whose bodies remain missing. This list includes prominent community members such as Isaac Sasson and Salim Jamous, as well as several families who disappeared in West Beirut under the control of Amal and Hezbollah during that period.