Rome Talks Shift Pilot Zones Toward Technical Implementation

Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome shifted the pilot-zone plan from political principles toward technical implementation Wednesday, according to U.S., Israeli and Lebanese accounts. The U.S. Embassy in Beirut said a practical format is in final drafting and that technical discussions will begin, while an Israeli official said the first two zones had been agreed. A possible trilateral military meeting on Friday would work to turn the understandings into steps on the ground. Reports differed on timing, with implementation described as beginning within days or only after logistical preparations lasting until the end of July. The model requires verified Lebanese Army control and prevention of Hezbollah's return before expansion.