Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Indonesia shortlisted as observers for Hezbollah disarmament monitoring
Israel and Lebanon have agreed on four countries to potentially join an international mechanism that would verify Hezbollah's disarmament in southern Lebanon, according to diplomatic sources.
Diplomatic sources told Reuters that negotiators from Israel and Lebanon have selected Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Indonesia as prospective participants in an international monitoring mechanism to verify Hezbollah's disarmament in southern Lebanon. The shortlist emerged during U.S.-mediated talks in Rome that marked the seventh round of negotiations linked to a June diplomatic accord tying a phased Israeli withdrawal to the complete disarming of Hezbollah.
Three informed individuals said the four governments could help define the monitoring framework’s operational scope, provide administrative staff or deploy troops to observe inspection activities. A Lebanese official confirmed that both sides had reached consensus on a candidate list for troop deployment, but noted that Washington would ultimately decide which countries would take part.
"The candidate list is preliminary, but we are cautiously optimistic that the process will move forward," a source directly involved in the discussions told Reuters.
An Israeli embassy spokesperson in Washington said discussions about the monitoring body’s composition are ongoing and that no formal agreement has been reached. The Swiss foreign ministry said it is examining options to assist various stabilization processes, while the British foreign office indicated the United Kingdom stands ready to support de-escalation measures and long-term security in southern Lebanon. Officials from Indonesia’s foreign ministry and the Lebanese presidency did not respond to requests for comment.
A U.S. State Department official described the recent Rome meetings as “constructive and detailed,” rejecting claims of a diplomatic deadlock. The summit focused on advancing the Trilateral Framework Agreement concluded in Washington on June 26, including expanding “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon where Lebanese troops have begun deploying. The State Department official said the parties finalized details for implementing these zones, establishing common maps, operating parameters and a roadmap for future zones, and defining verification metrics.
The discussions also covered U.S. diplomatic initiatives for third-party oversight of Lebanese military clearance operations and separate bilateral talks on economic aid for regional reconstruction. This assessment contrasts with a report from the Hezbollah-linked Al Mayadeen network, which cited a Lebanese source saying direct negotiations between Jerusalem and Beirut are unlikely to resume next month and may be delayed until after the summer.