U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon concluded in Rome on Wednesday after two days of discussions that Washington described as “productive and positive,” with the sides reaching agreement on the structure and guidelines for a pilot zone initiative aimed at advancing the implementation of a broader framework deal.

However, no precise timetable was announced for Israel’s promised withdrawal from two designated pilot zones in southern Lebanon, a key issue that has created tensions between Beirut and Jerusalem in recent weeks.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the two sides had agreed on “the structure and guidelines for the pilot zone process,” which would be finalized and implemented in the coming days. The discussions will now move into an expanded technical phase focused on putting the wider trilateral framework into practice and reaching a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

The Rome meeting, held at the U.S. Embassy, brought together Israeli and Lebanese delegations at the ambassadorial level. It marked the sixth round of direct talks between the two sides since a new conflict erupted on March 2 between Israel and Hezbollah, following the escalation of a wider regional confrontation.

The negotiations focused on implementing a U.S.-brokered framework agreement signed on June 26, under which Lebanon and Israel agreed to establish a pilot zone mechanism in southern Lebanon. The plan calls for the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in designated areas, the dismantling and disarmament of armed groups and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

Israel had agreed to withdraw from two pilot zones under the framework deal, though Israeli officials have portrayed the move as a limited concession, arguing that the areas involved lie beyond the original buffer zone established by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inside southern Lebanon.

Israeli military officials have said the army is prepared to carry out the withdrawal but has not yet received final instructions from the political leadership. Lebanese officials had accused Israel of delaying implementation and threatened to boycott the Rome talks unless progress was made. Washington intervened to persuade Beirut to attend, assuring Lebanese officials that movement on the withdrawals would be addressed.

An Israeli readout from the talks referred to the issue broadly, stating that “the two pilot zones in question were agreed upon” and that any further expansion of the pilot program would depend on the successful implementation of the initial phase.

The Israeli statement said the pilot zones would serve as a test of Lebanese sovereignty through the implementation of agreed conditions by the Lebanese armed forces and verification by a third party.

However, it added that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) were not discussed and would not be included in any future verification mechanism.

The Israeli side also said discussions were continuing over arrangements concerning private property, with the aim of removing weapons and other prohibited materials while ensuring respect for Lebanese law.

An Israeli official described the Rome talks as “positive,” saying they reinforced that both Israel and Lebanon agreed on the need to dismantle and disarm Hezbollah and continue implementing the trilateral framework agreement.

The U.S. statement said the next stage of negotiations would focus on technical details, including the practical implementation of the framework, security arrangements, the deployment of Lebanese forces, the boundaries of the pilot zones, timelines for troop movements and mechanisms for independent verification.