The next round of U.S.-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel in Rome will focus on a reconstruction plan that channels compensation directly to residents of southern Lebanon while excluding Hezbollah and its affiliated institutions from managing funds, selecting beneficiaries, or overseeing rebuilding projects, Lebanese political sources told Erem News.

According to the sources, the proposal will be discussed alongside the expansion of the newly launched "pilot zones" initiative, under which Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from parts of southern Lebanon as the Lebanese Army deploys to assume full security control.

The reconstruction mechanism, they said, is designed not to deprive residents of compensation but to ensure that financial assistance reaches those affected directly through state institutions and internationally supervised channels.

The sources said one of the central objectives of the plan is to prevent Hezbollah from reclaiming its longstanding role as an intermediary between local communities and international donors; a position that has significantly reinforced the group's political and social influence over the years.

They said reconstruction has emerged as one of the key issues in the negotiations after international stakeholders concluded that security arrangements alone would not be sufficient if Hezbollah were allowed to retain control over compensation programs and service delivery within its traditional strongholds.

Under the proposed mechanism, reconstruction efforts would begin immediately after Israeli forces withdraw and the Lebanese Army completes its deployment.

Official government teams would register every affected household individually and prepare files documenting ownership records, the extent of damage, and estimated reconstruction costs.

The sources stressed that beneficiary lists would not be submitted through Hezbollah-affiliated institutions or organizations, and that no political party would be permitted to determine who qualifies for compensation or assess property damage.

Municipalities would play only a limited administrative role by assisting technical teams and providing property records, while responsibility for managing reconstruction files and approving financial decisions would remain with the Lebanese state and the authorities overseeing the program.

According to the sources, compensation payments would be transferred directly to homeowners or to contractors carrying out reconstruction work, without passing through any political or party-affiliated institution.

Funds would be released in stages based on construction progress and verified through technical inspections.

The process would also be subject to extensive international oversight, including verification of beneficiaries, reviews of contracting companies, and monitoring of payment procedures to ensure that reconstruction funds do not reach front companies or organizations linked to Hezbollah.

The proposed system mirrors procedures already used by the World Bank in Lebanon's recovery programs, including direct payments, contract monitoring, and audits of procurement and expenditures.

The sources said reconstruction would be directly tied to the deployment of the Lebanese Army and its ability to move freely throughout areas vacated by Israeli forces.

Survey teams and reconstruction crews would not enter any location until the Army has completed its deployment and confirmed that the area is free of Hezbollah military positions, ammunition, and weapons depots.

The Army would also retain unrestricted access to any site where security concerns require intervention.

According to the sources, linking reconstruction to the Army's deployment is intended to ensure that the restoration of state authority proceeds alongside the return of residents, preventing the reestablishment of the previous security landscape under the cover of rebuilding efforts.

Lebanese economists estimate that rebuilding southern Lebanon, Beirut's southern suburbs, and parts of the Bekaa Valley after the latest war will cost between $12 billion and $15 billion, reflecting widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and public facilities.

The experts say financing on that scale will require a coalition of international donors, including the World Bank, the European Union, France, and other partner countries, with Gulf states expected to contribute during later stages.

However, international donors have consistently linked large-scale assistance to several conditions, including strengthening the authority of the Lebanese state, implementing financial and administrative reforms, enforcing strict oversight of public spending, and ensuring that reconstruction funds do not reach institutions or financial channels connected to Hezbollah.

The sources said those conditions explain the insistence on individual beneficiary registration, direct payment mechanisms, and international supervision of every stage of the reconstruction process.

According to the sources, the postwar struggle in southern Lebanon will not be limited to the issue of weapons but will also determine who controls reconstruction and compensation.

While the Lebanese government and international partners seek to establish a direct relationship between citizens and state institutions, Hezbollah recognizes that losing its role in reconstruction would deprive it of one of its most important sources of influence within its support base.

The sources said the upcoming Rome talks are expected to examine the operational details of registration procedures, compensation payments, and oversight mechanisms, while linking further Israeli withdrawals to the implementation of a reconstruction model managed directly by the Lebanese state and international partners rather than through party intermediaries.

They said the broader objective is not only to rebuild southern Lebanon but also to reshape the relationship between the Lebanese state and residents after years in which Hezbollah played the dominant role in reconstruction and local service delivery.