Lebanon, Israel agree on countries that could verify Hezbollah disarmament — official

Key Points:

• Lebanon and Israel have agreed on a shortlist of countries to potentially send troops to verify Hezbollah's disarmament under a US-brokered agreement, with the US set to select from the list; France was reportedly vetoed by Israel and the US.
• The agreement links Israel’s phased troop withdrawal from Lebanon to Hezbollah’s disarmament, which Hezbollah has refused to accept; Lebanon rejected the use of private security firms for verification, insisting on countries as third-party verifiers.
• Discussions included how foreign troops would operate, possibly under the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL, requiring a new UN Security Council resolution, which the US and Israel are now willing to consider.
• Talks have yet to agree on the next areas for Israeli withdrawal, with Lebanon proposing Bint Jbeil and Khiam, while Israel demands verification of control over initial pilot zones before proceeding further.
• The latest round of talks in Rome covered legal, political, and military tracks, addressing pilot zones, military operation definitions, and Lebanese prisoners held by Israel, with the next round scheduled for early September.