Hours before the sixth round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Rome on Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun hoped that the two-day talks will produce tangible progress on the ground, starting with an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to areas vacated by Israeli forces.
The Lebanese delegation heads into the talks seeking to move from the framework agreement with Israel to the implementation phase, while Hezbollah has intensified its criticism of both the government and the accord, saying it undermines Lebanon’s sovereignty and targets the party itself.
Lebanon is pressing for the prompt launch of the “pilot zones” outlined in the agreement. Sources familiar with the negotiations told Asharq Al-Awsat that US-led efforts, through a delegation that arrived in Beirut from Israel on Saturday, to initiate an Israeli withdrawal from pilot areas remain active and should not be considered stalled.
“We are still awaiting signs that such a step can be achieved before Tuesday’s talks in Rome,” the sources said, adding that contacts are continuing until the last minute in hopes of securing an Israeli withdrawal from one or two villages before negotiations begin.
Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Israel would withdraw from Western Zawtar, Eastern Zawtar, and several other villages.
Ministerial sources said the Lebanese delegation includes Ambassador Simon Karam, Ambassador Nada Mouawad, and retired Brig. Gen. Ziad Haykal, a member of Aoun’s advisory team.
US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa will not attend.
The talks will focus on mechanisms for implementing the framework agreement, establishing a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal, and launching the pilot zones through the deployment of the Lebanese Army as a prelude to reconstruction.
The framework agreement sets out broad principles for resolving the situation in southern Lebanon, including an Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, and reconstruction. However, it does not include a binding implementation timetable, one of the main points of contention.
During meetings on Monday, Aoun said national unity was Lebanon’s “strongest weapon” and urged political leaders to “speak with one Lebanese voice,” stressing that loyalty should be to the nation rather than personal interests.
He vowed not to compromise on southern Lebanon or the country’s rights, saying the framework agreement calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and includes an Israeli commitment that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.
Aoun argued that war had failed to bring security or stability and said diplomacy aims to achieve objectives broadly supported by Lebanese citizens, foremost among them an Israeli withdrawal, the return of displaced residents, the release of detainees and the remains of the dead, and the launch of reconstruction.
He said he would discuss ways to pressure Israel to implement the framework agreement during his upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington.
As preparations for the Rome talks continued, Hezbollah stepped up its attacks on the Lebanese government and the framework agreement, arguing that it fails to safeguard Lebanon’s sovereignty, links ending the occupation to the issue of the group’s weapons, and grants Israel political gains it failed to achieve during the war.
MP Ali Al-Moqdad, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, called for the agreement to be abandoned, describing it as “an agreement of humiliation and disgrace” that betrays the sacrifices of those killed, wounded, and displaced.
