Israel denied Wednesday evening that it has reached agreement on the composition of an international body that will monitor and verify the Lebanese army’s work in pilot areas of southern Lebanon. The Israeli clarification came after Reuters reported that Israel and Lebanon had agreed on four countries—Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia—as candidates to join the emerging mechanism. Israeli officials stressed that contrary to the impression created by the report, there is no agreement yet on the body’s composition and negotiations continue.
5+The Reuters report presented significant progress in talks surrounding the mechanism meant to ensure Hezbollah’s disarmament. According to the news agency, Israel and Lebanon agreed on Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia as countries that could join the mechanism. Three sources involved in the matter said the countries could help define its powers, provide staff to oversee implementation, and even send soldiers to observe or participate in inspections.
But Israel is presenting a more qualified picture. In response to the report, Israeli officials clarified: “There is no agreement on the composition of the body that will monitor and verify the Lebanese army’s work in the pilot areas. Negotiations on the matter continue.” In other words, according to the Israeli clarification, it cannot be determined at this stage that the four countries mentioned in the report are the ones that will actually comprise the monitoring body.
5+Earlier this week we reported that Israel drew a clear line: countries acting against Israel in international courts—whether against the State of Israel or against Israeli officials—will not be part of the international force in Lebanon.
5+The current Reuters report followed the agency’s publication last Friday, in which a Lebanese source said Israel and Lebanon had reached agreement on a shortlist of possible countries that could send forces to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament. At that stage, the source refused to reveal which countries were on the list but said the U.S. was supposed to choose from among them which countries would participate in the mechanism. It was also emphasized then that there was still discussion about how the mechanism would operate, the number of forces to be deployed, and how they would work alongside the Lebanese army.
The new report revealed the four countries that according to sources are on the list: Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia. The report itself also emphasized that discussions are at an early stage. A source with direct knowledge of the talks said there is “cautious optimism” that the move will advance. The Israeli clarification now sharpens the distinction between countries being considered in negotiations and final agreement on the identity and composition of the body that will monitor on the ground.
5+The debate over which countries is just part of a broader issue: how to verify that the Lebanese army has actually dismantled Hezbollah’s weapons infrastructure in areas from which the IDF is supposed to withdraw. The emerging mechanism is meant to provide external verification of the Lebanese army’s work in the pilot areas. According to Reuters, one option being considered is deploying foreign staff or soldiers who could observe inspections and even participate in them.
The need for a verifying party stems from the framework Israel and Lebanon agreed to in late June with American mediation. The agreement links gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah’s disarmament, with a third party supposed to verify the disarmament’s implementation.
5+Alongside the question of which countries will participate in the mechanism, significant disputes remain regarding how monitoring will be carried out. According to two sources who spoke with Reuters, under the proposal villages in southern Lebanon are supposed to undergo inspections to verify they are clean of weapons. Israel demands that inspections also include private homes.
This demand is particularly sensitive for Lebanon. The Lebanese army has been reluctant over the past year to search private property, partly due to concerns that such searches would create tensions in the south and with Hezbollah. According to security sources quoted by Reuters, the army would need a warrant for each house to be searched.
5+The question of foreign forces’ freedom of action also remains unresolved. A foreign security source said it will be necessary to determine who will be authorized to conduct searches of private property and how they will be carried out, as well as to define the degree of freedom of movement that will be given to foreign forces.
According to the report, agreement will need to be reached on a mandate allowing the presence of foreign forces in Lebanon. One scenario is that the Lebanese government would formally invite them in a framework that would also gain Israel’s consent. The previous Reuters report mentioned additional options, including integrating the forces into an existing international framework or creating a separate arrangement with Lebanon. That report emphasized that it has not yet been determined exactly how the body will work, how many forces will be deployed in it, and how they will cooperate with the Lebanese army.