A US official said that the United States has moved to the implementation phase of the general framework organizing understandings between Lebanon and Israel.

The official explained in statements to Sky News Arabia that the upcoming Rome meetings will be closed and 'will represent the beginning of the transition from political understandings to field implementation.'

This comes as the Italian capital prepares to host a new round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on July 15 and 16 with American mediation, as part of following up on the implementation of the framework agreement that was announced in late June.

The US official added that 'the Rome meetings will allow the two governments to refer files to technical teams, which will handle all issues included in the general framework, in preparation for implementing its provisions on the ground.'

He explained that the first 'pilot zone' will be implemented within days, where the Israeli army will withdraw and be replaced by the Lebanese army, while planning work and identifying additional pilot zones are currently ongoing.

The official pointed out that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is coordinating with both Lebanon and Israel to push forward the implementation steps of the agreement.

He affirmed that Washington will soon begin communicating with its international partners to support the Lebanese government in effectively asserting its sovereignty within these areas, leading to enhancing state sovereignty on a broader scale across the country.

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Lebanon and Israel: The Pilot Zones, the Upcoming Test

What does the agreement entail?

The framework agreement stipulates a gradual Israeli withdrawal from areas in southern Lebanon, in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army in the evacuated positions, within broader security arrangements overseen by the United States. The pilot zones are the first phase to test implementation mechanisms before expanding them to other areas.

The agreement does not include a binding timeline for a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel affirms that it will not withdraw from the security zone adjacent to its border before implementing arrangements related to disarming Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Lebanon stresses the need to cement the ceasefire and the Israeli withdrawal from the agreed-upon areas.

The Lebanese presidency had announced that President Joseph Aoun received from the US Ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa, confirmation that a US military delegation will arrive in Lebanon within days to oversee preparations for starting the implementation of the pilot zones and to coordinate with both sides to establish the necessary field mechanisms, with emphasis on not allowing any security vacuum following any Israeli withdrawal.

These developments come days before the Rome round and ahead of an anticipated trip by Aoun to Washington in the last week of July, at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. The visit is expected to address the progress of implementing the agreement, the future of security arrangements on the Lebanese-Israeli border, and international support for Lebanese state institutions.

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