The second day of the sixth round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, under the auspices of the United States of America, began in the Italian capital, Rome, with the aim of reaching practical mechanisms to stabilize the ceasefire announced on June 20 , and to discuss the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from southern Lebanon amid a wide disparity in the conditions and demands of the two parties.
According to Lebanese sources following the dialogue, the ongoing discussions revolve around the formula of "model or experimental areas" as a first step towards a complete withdrawal.
The sources pointed out that the Lebanese side is demanding an immediate Israeli withdrawal from two occupied experimental zones and the extension of the authority of the Lebanese state and army over them to stabilize the calm and facilitate the return of the population, which is supported by Lebanese President JosephF. Aoun to strengthen Lebanon's negotiating position ahead of his expected visit to Washington on July 21 . On the other hand, the Israeli side expresses broad reservations, proposing to start with one area and postpone the rest based on the results of the first experiment.
Israeli conditions
The main obstacles to a final agreement are Israel's security demands related to Hezbollah's deployment in the south, and the guarantees required for the post-withdrawal phase, as the IDF refuses to evacuate its current recovery sites until it obtains practical evidence of the LAF's ability to find weapons, dismantle tunnels and ground installations, and prevent the return of armed elements under "civilian cover."
The sources following the negotiations added that Israel demands that the Lebanese army units that will be deployed in the test areas be subjected to examination and scrutiny by the American side, to ensure that their affiliates are not linked to Hezbollah, in addition to imposing continuous American control over the mechanism of carrying out the missions.
Israel refuses to be satisfied with the Lebanese Army's announcement of the "clean-up" of the area, and demands that the US Central Command be the decisive party, while the Israeli army retains the authority to intervene militarily in the event of any "breach."
Israel seeks to maintain a "security buffer zone" adjacent to the Blue Line even after the handover of the pilot zones, as long as Hezbollah is not completely disarmed, the sources said, as well as its desire to ensure that the reconstruction funds are not used to build military infrastructure.
Aoun: The current framework formula is the best possible
On the political level, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in front of a delegation from the Orthodox Meeting that the current "framework formula" is the best possible and has begun to give its effect internationally.
Aoun stressed that the Lebanon file is now on the table of the US administration and that Beirut will not tolerate its sovereign rights, pointing out that "the right to dissent is legitimate, not disagreement, and dialogue between the Lebanese is under the roof of the national interest and not to give precedence to personal interests."
He continued: "Hatred does not build a state or institutions, but it destroys it, and the Lebanese must choose what saves their homeland and protects it from the ambitions of others." "The road is not paved and there are difficulties, but there is great hope that results will end the bloodbath."
For his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar expressed hope that the Rome Round will contribute to making progress on the formula of the two pilot zones, stressing Tel Aviv's readiness to move forward in this framework according to the specified conditions.
Ongoing escalation on the ground in the south
On the ground, the negotiating track coincided with the continuation of the Israeli occupation army's bulldozing and bombing operations aimed at imposing a security situation on the border, as the Israeli forces carried out on Wednesday morning huge bombings on houses and valleys in the towns of Beit Yahoun, Khiam and Qantara, following a large-scale explosion in the Safita area of the town of Yahmar al-Shukif that caused severe mountain cracks.
Military bulldozers also bulldozed the vital roads connecting the city of Bint Jbeil and the border town of Maroun al-Ras, amid heavy gunfire to prevent residents from inspecting their lands and orchards in the vicinity of the towns of Majdal Zone and Al-Mansouri.
It is noteworthy that these rounds of negotiations come after a large-scale war launched by Israel on Lebanon since March 2 , followed by a ceasefire announcement on April 16 and its extension several times in May, leading to the current relative calm that has been ongoing since June 20.