Lebanon and Israel have resumed negotiations in Rome under United States mediation as renewed fighting across the Middle East threatens to complicate efforts aimed at ending decades of hostility between the two countries.
The latest Lebanon Israel talks come as tensions escalate between Washington and Tehran, with the United States carrying out further strikes against Iran and preparing new restrictions on Iranian ports.
Lebanon and Israel, which remain technically at war, reached a framework agreement on June 26 following five rounds of negotiations in Washington. The agreement was designed to end the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group, while creating a pathway toward a longer-term peace arrangement.
However, the proposed deal faces major obstacles, particularly over Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm and disagreements about the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese presidency said its delegation attending the Rome discussions had been instructed to push for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from two designated “pilot zones” before any additional negotiations take place.
A Lebanese diplomatic source familiar with the discussions said the Lebanese army was prepared to gradually assume control of areas vacated by Israeli forces.
“The Lebanese army is ready to gradually take control of the localities from which the Israeli army would withdraw,” the source told AFP.
Israel has indicated that it is prepared to withdraw from the areas gradually but insists that Hezbollah must not return to those locations.
Orna Mizrahi, an analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, said Israel’s priority was ensuring that southern Lebanon would remain free of Hezbollah military activity.
She said Israel wanted guarantees that the Lebanese army would have the capacity to maintain the areas as “neutralised zones” where Hezbollah would not be able to rebuild its presence.
A US military delegation began discussions with the Lebanese army in Beirut on Saturday regarding the possible withdrawal process from one of the pilot zones.
The talks are part of wider international efforts to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah from escalating further.
The framework agreement followed a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, but tensions have continued.
Lebanese authorities have accused Israel of carrying out continued strikes in southern Lebanon and demolitions in villages where Israeli forces remain deployed.
According to Lebanese officials, Israeli military operations and a ground invasion since the beginning of the conflict have killed more than 4,300 people since early March.
Despite diplomatic efforts, analysts remain cautious about the possibility of a breakthrough in Rome.
Karim Bitar, a lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, said expectations for major progress were limited.
“The chances of a breakthrough in Rome are quite limited,” Bitar told AFP.
He said the talks could instead demonstrate that diplomatic channels remain active despite opposition and growing challenges.
The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of a wider regional confrontation involving Iran and the United States.
Iran had pushed for a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of broader diplomatic efforts that led to a memorandum of understanding with Washington on June 17.
However, the situation has changed significantly following renewed US military strikes against Iran and rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts say Tehran has attempted to connect Lebanon’s situation with the broader regional conflict, while Israel and its allies want to separate the issues.
Orna Mizrahi said Iran’s immediate priorities now appeared to be focused on the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear programme rather than Lebanon.
“The Iranians are using Lebanon as an excuse. They will always use it as an excuse,” she said.
Hezbollah remains one of the biggest challenges facing the negotiations.
The group brought Lebanon deeper into the regional conflict on March 2 after launching missile attacks against Israel in support of Iran.
While Hezbollah rejects the agreement requiring its disarmament, Lebanese authorities and international mediators continue to push for a deal that would strengthen state control over southern Lebanon.
Bitar warned that the possibility of renewed large-scale fighting in Lebanon cannot be ignored as regional tensions increase.
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“The risk of major fighting returning to Lebanon as a result of the regional escalation is, of course, not negligible,” he said.
However, he added that Iran may be reluctant to immediately order Hezbollah to launch another major attack against Israel.
According to Bitar, Tehran is likely to preserve Hezbollah as a long-term strategic deterrent rather than use the group immediately to open another military front.
As negotiations continue in Rome, Lebanon and Israel face the challenge of maintaining a fragile diplomatic process while wider Middle East tensions continue to threaten regional stability.
AFP