Ahead of the Rome Round.. Israeli Procrastination in Withdrawing from Southern Lebanon and Continued Field Violations

Diplomatic preparations are accelerating for the sixth round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in the Italian capital, Rome, amidst a field atmosphere charged with continuous violations. Informed sources reported that Israeli aggressions in southern Lebanon have not ceased, with drones continuing to carry out scattered raids and drop sound bombs to terrorize civilians returning to their destroyed villages.

On the official level, Lebanon stresses the necessity of adhering to what was agreed upon in the previous Washington negotiations, especially regarding the comprehensive Israeli withdrawal timeline. Beirut demands the deployment of the Lebanese Army in border areas and the activation of what are known as 'experimental zones' as a first step towards restoring full sovereignty over the occupied territories.

In contrast, data from Beirut indicates clear Israeli procrastination in implementing these entitlements, as the occupation has so far refused to specify the names of the villages that will be included in the first phase of the withdrawal. The Israeli government is also evading setting a clear timeline for the redeployment process, raising doubts about its true intentions regarding sustainable calm.

The Lebanese state insists that the 'experimental zones' be villages still under direct occupation, to ensure the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from them before the entry of Lebanese Army units. This vision aims to create a security model that allows for the return of displaced residents and paves the way for expanding the scope of withdrawal to include all disputed border points.

For its part, the Lebanese Army assured the International Monitoring Committee on the Ceasefire of its full readiness for immediate deployment in any area evacuated by the occupation forces. However, the Israeli side is trying to impose new conditions outside the framework of understandings, including demanding that the Lebanese Army enter certain areas to test its ability to deal with the field reality there, which was met with a categorical Lebanese rejection.

In the context of diplomatic activity, a high-level American military delegation continues its meetings with the army leadership in Beirut to follow up on the technical details of the security understandings. These meetings coincide with intensive political contacts aimed at overcoming obstacles before the start of the Rome round, amid international hopes of containing the escalation and preventing the region from sliding into a wider confrontation.

A state of extreme caution prevails among decision-makers in Lebanon, fearing an Israeli reversal of existing understandings, exploiting the regional tension between Washington and Tehran. Political sources believe that the pressure exerted by the American administration on Tel Aviv has not yet translated into tangible practical steps on the ground, especially regarding the timeline for military withdrawal.

Lebanese sources confirm that American pressure on Israel has not yet achieved practical results, neither in terms of defining the experimental zones nor in setting a timeline for their implementation.