Lebanon and Israel still split over disarming Hezbollah at Rome talks

Lebanon and Israel are holding a second day of United States-brokered talks in Rome over Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, but the session is unlikely to yield further pullbacks as the two sides remain split over disarming Hezbollah, according to a senior Lebanese official.

The negotiations on Wednesday are the second day of the second round of talks in Rome and the seventh overall, following five sessions in Washington. They aim to shore up a fragile ceasefire and build on a framework agreement signed in June.

Tuesday’s session was split into political and military tracks, a senior Lebanese official told the Anadolu news agency. Lebanon set out its position on the border during the political meeting, while the military track addressed the mechanism for verifying implementation of security arrangements, including the Israeli withdrawal and Hezbollah’s weapons. Lebanon has received no answer from the Israeli political side on its commitment to the ceasefire, the official said.

For the first time, the official told Anadolu, the Israeli delegation stepped back from demanding that Hezbollah’s disarmament be discussed before the border file.

A key focus is Ali Taher Hill, strategic high ground near Nabatieh that Israel says conceals a Hezbollah command centre and underground weapons facilities. Israel wants the Lebanese army to secure the site and dismantle the group’s infrastructure as one of several “pilot zones”, but Beirut says there are no Israeli units there to replace.

The talks also addressed naming a third party to verify the Israeli withdrawal and oversee the Lebanese army’s takeover of the areas in question, the official said. Some reports point to Italy.

Lebanon asked that the next pilot zone be in Khiam or Bint Jbeil, the official said. In such zones, the Lebanese army assumes full security responsibility, including barring Hezbollah’s return, in exchange for a limited Israeli pullback.

An earlier Rome round produced a deal for Israel to withdraw from the outskirts of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, after which the Lebanese army deployed and residents returned following survey and clearance work.

Lebanon also wants Israel to halt large-scale demolitions and bombings in the south, the most recent of which last week struck the area around the historic Beaufort Castle.

“The latest round of talks in Rome is unlikely to lead to further Israeli withdrawals from southern Lebanon,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Zeina Khodr, reporting from Nabatieh. “Israeli officials have made this clear time and time again.”

She said Lebanon had little leverage. “The balance of power is in Israel’s favour, so Lebanon is relying on the support of the US government,” Khodr said.

US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the talks focused on strengthening implementation of the framework accord, including the pilot-zone mechanism, verifying Hezbollah’s disarmament and other security threats linked to Iran, and redeploying Israeli forces from the south, to eventually achieve a comprehensive security and peace deal.

The talks have deepened divisions in Lebanon.

“People in southern Lebanon have little faith in the agreement,” Khodr said, citing anger at Hezbollah for reopening a front in March, as well as distrust of Israel, which residents accuse of expansionist aims and continued home demolitions. Others welcome any deal that ends recurring wars in an economy “in shambles”.

Hezbollah, not party to the talks, has said it will pull back from south of the Litani River but will not disarm to the north, where Ali Taher lies. Its leader Naim Qassem urged the government to halt “concessions”, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam blamed the group for dragging Lebanon into “absurd” wars. Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since March have killed 4,333 people and displaced more than a million.