Washington is seeking new security arrangements between Lebanon and Israel aimed at strengthening efforts to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament in southern Lebanon and prevent the group from establishing new weapons depots or military positions, Lebanese diplomatic sources told Erem News.

The proposed arrangements are expected to be discussed at an upcoming meeting between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations in Florida on October 20, as the United States seeks to advance negotiations on Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and halt Israeli strikes in the area.

According to the sources, Washington wants the meeting to produce a more comprehensive security framework to guide verification operations conducted by the Lebanese Army under the supervision of the existing monitoring mechanism, known as the “mechanism.” In return, Israel would be expected to take steps including withdrawing from designated areas in southern Lebanon and allowing the Lebanese Army to deploy there.

The discussions are also expected to address a timetable for expanding the so-called model areas initiative, under which Israel would gradually withdraw from selected positions while the Lebanese Army moves in to verify that the areas are free of weapons and unauthorized armed activity.

The planned meeting comes as political contacts between Lebanon and Israel remain stalled following the suspension of talks in Rome. Washington is seeking to revive negotiations on two central issues: an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and an end to strikes in southern Lebanon.

A senior Lebanese diplomat told Erem News that the Florida meeting aims to establish a more structured framework for exchanging information through the monitoring mechanism, particularly concerning sites suspected of being used as weapons depots or Hezbollah tunnels.

One of the main objectives, the diplomat said, is to prevent Hezbollah from establishing new weapons storage sites or transferring arms to alternative locations while the Lebanese Army continues verification and disarmament operations in areas beyond what is known as the “Yellow Line.”

US officials have discussed with members of the Lebanese delegation the need for Beirut to present a military plan that would prevent Hezbollah from setting up new weapons depots outside areas where Israeli forces are deployed, the source said.

The discussions come after Hezbollah lost a number of positions and associated weapons storage facilities, according to the diplomat.

Washington is also taking seriously Israeli concerns that Hezbollah could rebuild part of its military capabilities in villages and areas beyond Israeli control, enabling the group to reposition its forces and establish new footholds in southern Lebanon, the source added.

The diplomatic efforts are unfolding against a backdrop of continued military activity along the border. The Israeli military recently reported that an officer and a soldier had been wounded during an operation in southern Lebanon and said an investigation into the incident was underway.

Monitoring compliance

One of the key issues Lebanon is expected to raise in Florida is who will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Lebanese state's commitments to bringing unauthorized weapons under control and removing armed activity, tunnels and weapons depots from areas covered by the proposed security arrangements, retired Brig. Gen. Saeed al-Qozah , a military expert, told Erem News.

Beirut is also expected to explore the possibility of establishing additional model areas from which Israeli forces would withdraw in stages, paving the way for the deployment of the Lebanese Army, al-Qozah said.

The broader objective of the process, he added, would be to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

Al-Qozah ruled out direct intelligence cooperation between the Lebanese and Israeli armies, saying any exchange of information or security coordination would most likely take place through a third party.

That intermediary could be the United States, which plays a central role in the existing monitoring mechanism, or an international force that would replace or supplement the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Another option would be a group of countries tasked with overseeing implementation of the agreed arrangements, he said.

Any cooperation between the two armies would remain confined to the committee responsible for supervising the verification of disarmament, al-Qozah stressed. The committee could operate under US or broader international leadership, but the process would not extend to direct communication channels between the Lebanese and Israeli militaries.

Security track takes precedence

The shift toward military and security negotiations does not mean the political track has been abandoned, said Thuraya Shaheen, a researcher specializing in US-Lebanese relations.

Political negotiations remain the framework underpinning arrangements on the ground, Shaheen told Erem News, adding that the security discussions should be viewed as part of a broader diplomatic process rather than a replacement for it.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the headquarters of US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa, Florida, where the parties are expected to discuss consolidating the ceasefire, ending bulldozing operations and home demolitions, stopping attacks on civilians and addressing violations on the ground in southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese delegation is also expected to renew its push to expand the model areas initiative, a proposal that stalled during the seventh round of negotiations in Rome, Shaheen said.

Beirut will argue that the continued absence of tangible progress in southern Lebanon has made the current situation unsustainable, she added.

Shaheen said Washington appeared to understand Lebanon's position and was putting pressure on Israel. However, the timing of the meeting, shortly before Israel's October 27 Knesset elections, could complicate the negotiations by making Israeli domestic political considerations particularly sensitive.

Israel could take some positive steps to keep the talks moving, she said, but the available indications suggest that major concessions are unlikely at this stage.

The immediate priority of the upcoming round may therefore be to prevent the negotiating process from collapsing and keep communication channels open among Lebanon, Israel and the United States, Shaheen said.