Lebanon says army ready to take over areas vacated by Israel

Lebanon's army is prepared to gradually assume control of areas from which Israeli forces withdraw, a Lebanese diplomatic source stated during US-mediated talks in Rome. These negotiations aim to implement a June 26 framework agreement for "lasting peace" between Israel and Lebanon, which have been formally at war for decades. The Lebanese delegation has demanded an immediate Israeli withdrawal from two "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon.

• Israel is willing to withdraw gradually, provided Hezbollah does not enter the evacuated areas and the Lebanese army can maintain them as demilitarized zones.
• Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed organization, has rejected the agreement.
• An American military delegation is discussing practical arrangements for withdrawal with the Lebanese army in Beirut.
• Hopes for a breakthrough remain low, with experts like Karim Bitar noting, "The chances of a breakthrough in Rome are quite limited."

The talks are complicated by renewed US-Iran hostilities, which could undermine the negotiations, as "The Iranians want to establish a link between the two cases, while we want to separate them," according to Orna Mizrahi.