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Lebanon on Thursday pushed back against a report that Beirut and Israel had agreed on which countries could take part in a mechanism overseeing Iran-backed Hezbollah’s disarmament, saying the matter remains under discussion with U.S. officials.
A Lebanese official speaking to Reuters denied earlier reports that the United Kingdom, Italy, Switzerland and Indonesia were among the countries being considered for the verification mechanism.
The issue is tied to a June 26 deal brokered by the U.S. that links the progressive withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon to the "verified disarmament" of all non-state armed groups by the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah, which was not a party to the agreement, has rejected disarmament.
The reported monitoring mechanism was also discussed during U.S.-brokered meetings between Lebanon and Israel in Rome last week.
A State Department official told Reuters Tuesday that the talks covered "third-party verification" of the Lebanese army’s "clearance operations," but did not mention a shortlist or identify countries that could participate.
The negotiations are part of a broader U.S.-led effort to contain a conflict that erupted on March 2, when Hezbollah opened fire on Israel amid the Iran war and Israel responded with a widening military campaign in Lebanon.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on April 16 but remained fragile as Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks continued. It was later extended for 45 days, with both sides accusing each other of violating the truce.
A fourth round in Washington in early June produced an arrangement for pilot zones in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces would pull back, and Lebanese troops would assume security control.
The fifth round, held in Washington on June 26, produced a U.S.-brokered framework tying Israel’s progressive withdrawal to the "verified disarmament" of non-state armed groups and expanded Lebanese military control in the south.
The process then shifted toward implementation, with U.S.-brokered meetings in Rome focusing on Israeli redeployment, Lebanese army control and third-party verification.
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