UK, Italy among states considered to verify Hezbollah disarmament, sources say

By Alexander Cornwell and Maya Gebeily

TEL AVIV/BEIRUT, Aug 12 (Reuters) – Israel and Lebanon have agreed on Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Indonesia as potential contributors to a proposed mechanism that could see foreign troops deployed to Lebanon to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament, people familiar with the matter said.

The shortlist emerged from U.S.-mediated talks in Rome last week, the latest round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on implementing a June agreement that ties Israel’s phased withdrawal from Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah.

The countries could help define the mechanism’s scope, provide personnel to oversee its implementation or contribute troops to observe or take part in inspections verifying disarmament, three sources said.

A Lebanese official told Reuters on Friday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed on a list of potential countries that could send troops to verify disarmament, but declined to identify them, saying the U.S. would decide which of them would take part.

Israel and Lebanon in late June agreed to a U.S.-mediated framework as part of Washington’s efforts to end the latest round of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, triggered in March when the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group attacked Israel following U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.

A source with direct knowledge of the matter said discussions surrounding the shortlisted countries were in the early stages but said that they were “cautiously optimistic” the effort would proceed.

The Israeli prime minister’s office, the Lebanese presidency and the British, Italian, and Indonesian foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Switzerland’s foreign ministry had no immediate comment.

ISRAEL SEEKING SEARCHES OF PRIVATE HOMES

Israel’s military occupies what it describes as a security zone extending 10 kilometres into southern Lebanon and has said it will not withdraw unilaterally until Hezbollah is disarmed.

Two sources said that under the proposed mechanism, villages in southern Lebanon would be inspected and verified as being free of weapons. Israel wants those inspections to include private homes, they said.

Lebanon’s army has resisted pressure over the last year to search private properties, fearing such searches could spark tensions in the south and with Hezbollah more broadly. Security officials have told Reuters the army would need warrants for each house.

A foreign security official said the question of private properties would need addressing, including how and by whom they would be searched. The official said the extent of foreign troops’ freedom of movement would also need to be clearly established.

A mandate for the presence of foreign troops in Lebanon would have to be agreed, the sources said, with the most likely scenario being that they would be formally invited by the Lebanese government under a framework endorsed by Israel.

The U.S. and Israel were unlikely to accept U.N. involvement, the sources said, while European nations may oppose oversight by U.S. President Donald Trump’s so-called Board of Peace.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Aidan Lewis)