Report: Lebanon-Israel talks focused on mechanism to verify pilot zones are Hezbollah-free

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

A Lebanese boy flashes the victory sign as he stands in the back of a truck driving past the rubble of destroyed homes and businesses following Israeli military strikes. in the southern Lebanese village of Srifa on June 24, 2026. (FADEL itani / AFP) /
A Lebanese boy flashes the victory sign as he stands in the back of a truck driving past the rubble of destroyed homes and businesses following Israeli military strikes. in the southern Lebanese village of Srifa on June 24, 2026. (FADEL itani / AFP) /

According to Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV channel, Israel and Lebanon discussed during their meeting in Rome today how to verify that pilot zones under Lebanese army control are free of Hezbollah weapons and fighters.

A third party will verify disarmament, according to the report. No final decision has been reached, though United Nations forces have been brought up as a possibility.

The two sides did not discuss house searches, Lebanese officials tell the outlet.

Lebanon is pushing to start the implementation of the pilot project “as soon as possible,” within a week at the very latest, say the Lebanese sources.

The first pilot zone will include the villages Zatar El-Gharbiyeh, Zatar El-Sharqiya, Ghandouriyeh, Froun, Srifa, and Burj Qalaouiyah, which sit on both the northern and southern banks of the Litani River.

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