Israel-US Dispute Over International Mechanism for Hezbollah's Disarmament

Israeli and American officials denied the existence of a final agreement between Lebanon and Israel regarding the countries that will participate in a future international mechanism in Lebanon, tasked with verifying the dismantling of Hezbollah's weapons and monitoring Lebanese army operations, according to a report by the Hebrew-language site "Walla".

The denial comes in response to a previous report by Reuters stating that both sides had agreed on the potential participation of Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia in the international mechanism.

A Israeli official told the site: "There is no agreement on establishing the body that will oversee and verify the Lebanese army's activities in the trial areas, and negotiations are still ongoing."

An American official also confirmed there is currently no agreement on which countries might deploy forces in Lebanon after the conclusion of UNIFIL's mission.

The identity of the entity responsible for verifying the Lebanese army's actions remains one of the most prominent outstanding issues in the U.S.-mediated negotiations.

During the talks, the United States stated it opposes extending UNIFIL's mandate, while Israel and Lebanon agreed to work with Washington within an alternative future mechanism framework.

According to the site, joint maps, operational standards, and a roadmap were agreed upon in Rome, allowing for the later opening of additional trial zones, while the political track is expected to resume in Rome early next September.

An official at the U.S. Department of State confirmed Washington sees progress in the process but noted that Hezbollah is attempting to obstruct it, and both the Lebanese and Israeli governments face domestic political pressures.