Israeli Channel i24: Israel Considering Assigning Switzerland Oversight Role in Lebanon Agreement Implementation

According to sources at Israeli channel i24, "Israel is considering assigning Switzerland the task of overseeing the implementation of the agreement with Lebanon, after high-level Swiss officials held talks in Jerusalem."

Last night, a Lebanese official confirmed to Reuters that Lebanon and Israel had agreed on a shortlist of countries capable of sending forces to verify Hezbollah's disarmament under the U.S.-brokered agreement, with the United States expected to select the countries from this list.

The official declined to name any of the countries on the shortlist or specify how many were included. Earlier, another Lebanese official and two foreign diplomats informed Reuters that Israel and the United States had excluded France from the list.

The shortlist was prepared during meetings between Lebanon and Israel at the U.S. embassy in Rome this week, in the latest round of talks on how to implement the June 26 agreement linking the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon to the verification of Hezbollah's disarmament, which will be monitored by a third party.