Lebanon and Israel Narrow Down Nations to Verify Hezbollah Disarmament

Lebanese and Israeli representatives met in Rome and emerged with a shortlist of states that might send forces to oversee Hezbollah's disarmament, a key element of a June 26 agreement brokered by the United States. The Lebanese source declined to reveal how many countries are on the list or name them, but confirmed that private security firms were excluded in favor of sovereign nations. Washington will now decide which nation or nations to appoint, possibly deploying multiple contingents.

The arrangement may involve coordination with the Lebanese army or integration into a UN peacekeeping mission, which would require a new Security Council resolution as the current UNIFIL mandate expires later this year. Israel's foreign ministry did not respond to inquiries, and a State Department official said the talks were productive on technical and expert levels. The next round of negotiations is slated for early September, focusing on the next Israeli withdrawal zone.