During U.S.-brokered talks in Rome, Israel and the United States vetoed France from a shortlist of nations proposed to verify Hezbollah's disarmament in southern Lebanon. While Lebanon and Israel agreed on a preliminary list of potential sovereign monitors, negotiations have stalled over the next phase of Israel's military withdrawal. Israel refuses further pullbacks from towns like Bint Jbeil and Khiam until the Lebanese army establishes full control over initial pilot zones. Hezbollah continues to reject the disarmament framework.
France vetoed from verification role
- ▪Lebanese officials and foreign diplomats confirmed that France was rejected from the disarmament verification shortlist following objections from both Israel and the United States.
- ▪Israel and the United States vetoed France from a shortlist of countries being considered to verify Hezbollah's disarmament under a U.S.-brokered agreement.
US-brokered Lebanon disarmament agreement
- ▪Hezbollah is not a party to the June 26, 2026 framework agreement and has repeatedly refused to surrender its weapons.
- ▪The June 26, 2026 framework agreement links Israel's gradual military withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the third-party verification of Hezbollah's disarmament.
- ▪Lebanon and Israel agreed on a shortlist of potential countries to verify Hezbollah's disarmament during meetings at the U.S. Embassy in Rome during the first week of August 2026.
Verification force composition discussions
- ▪Negotiators are considering placing the verification force under the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, which would require a new U.N. Security Council resolution.
- ▪Lebanon rejected an earlier proposal to use private security companies to verify Hezbollah's disarmament, insisting that only sovereign nations be considered.
Pilot zone withdrawal stalemate
- ▪The Rome talks failed to produce an agreement on Lebanon's proposal for Israeli troops to withdraw from the heavily damaged southern towns of Bint Jbeil and Khiam.
- ▪Israel refused to withdraw from more areas of southern Lebanon until the Lebanese army establishes full control over the initial two pilot zones.
- ▪The Lebanese army began deploying on July 21, 2026 to a southern village on the outskirts of Israeli-controlled territory as part of the pilot zone plan.
Lebanon-Israel conflict background
- ▪The conflict escalated after Hezbollah fired at Israel on March 2, 2026 in solidarity with Iran, following a U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, 2026.
- ▪Israeli military operations and ground assaults in southern Lebanon have displaced more than one million Lebanese civilians and killed over 4,300 people.
Story comments
Loading comments…