Israel, Lebanon, and the United States are engaged in discussions to select the country that will oversee the area where the Lebanese army will deploy as part of a pilot project aimed at disarming Hezbollah. Italy has emerged as one of the potential candidates for this critical mission.
According to three informed sources, the talks between Israel, Lebanon, and the U.S. are focused on deciding which nation will supervise the zone designated for Lebanese army entry. This initiative seeks the complete removal of Hezbollah's presence and weaponry from the area, with Italy among the countries proposed for the task.
The meeting between Lebanese army chief, Rodolphe Heikel, and Italian Joint Operations Command leader, Lieutenant General Giovanni Maria Iannucci, highlighted this potential collaboration. A Lebanese army official statement noted that the "discussion covered the general situation, recent developments, and methods to support the Lebanese army given current challenges, alongside choices for the post-UNIFIL operations stage."
Initially, Israel insisted on controlling the zones entered by the Lebanese army to provide final approval for the demilitarization process. However, strong opposition from the Lebanese government led to the exploration of international alternatives. Israel and the U.S. are firmly opposed to extending the UNIFIL mandate, which is set to end this year, and rule out the possibility of UNIFIL handling final verification duties.
An informed source confirmed that multiple options are being examined, with no final agreements reached yet.
i24NEWS