Lebanon proposes expanding demilitarised zones in ceasefire plan

Lebanon has put forward a proposal to expand so-called ‘pilot zones’ in southern Lebanon, suggesting that the towns of Bint Jbail and Al-Khiyam be included in the arrangement. These areas hold significant symbolic and geographical importance in the region, which has been a focal point of tensions between Lebanon and Israel. The proposal aims to create controlled demilitarised areas as part of efforts to stabilise the volatile border region.
Israel has not yet formally responded to Beirut’s proposal, leaving the proposal in diplomatic limbo as negotiations continue. The talks, being conducted in Rome with international mediation, remain focused on several contentious issues that threaten to derail any potential agreement.
Three major obstacles continue to complicate negotiations: the precise demarcation of the border between the two countries, the mechanisms for monitoring and verification of any ceasefire agreement, and the critical issue of dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and weapons caches currently positioned throughout southern Lebanon. These infrastructure elements would need to be removed from the area for any lasting agreement to take hold.
The ‘pilot zone’ concept is intended to serve as a confidence-building measure, establishing areas where Lebanese sovereignty can be reasserted whilst addressing Israeli security concerns about militant groups operating near its northern border. However, without agreement on these fundamental issues, even limited pilot programmes remain unlikely to proceed.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.