France has been excluded from a proposed international force that would verify Hezbollah’s disarmament after both the United States and Israel objected to its participation, according to Lebanese and diplomatic sources cited by Reuters.

The development comes as Lebanon and Israel continue negotiations on implementing a US-brokered agreement that links Israel’s phased military withdrawal from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah’s disarmament under international verification. Washington is expected to make the final decision on which country, or countries, will be part of the mission.

Shortlist Finalised, Decision Awaits US

A Lebanese official told Reuters that Lebanon and Israel had agreed on a shortlist of countries that could participate in the verification force during meetings held at the US embassy in Rome.

The official declined to identify the countries under consideration or disclose how many had made the shortlist. However, another Lebanese official and two foreign diplomats said France had been ruled out after both Israel and the United States objected to its inclusion.

“We have reached a short list of countries. We decided which parties were impossible for each and set the potential actors. The Americans will now decide, and could pick more than one country,” the Lebanese official said.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the reported veto, while a US State Department spokesperson described the discussions in Rome as “productive on the technical and expert levels” but declined to provide additional details.

Lebanon Rejects Private Security Proposal

The Lebanese official also said Beirut had rejected an earlier proposal to employ private security companies to oversee Hezbollah’s disarmament, insisting that the task should only be carried out by sovereign states.

Discussions are continuing over the size of the proposed force, its operational mandate and the mechanism through which it would coordinate with the Lebanese armed forces.

Hezbollah is not a party to the June 26 agreement and has repeatedly rejected demands to surrender its weapons.

UN Role Under Consideration

Officials are also exploring the possibility of placing the verification mission under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose current mandate expires later this year.

Such an arrangement would require a fresh resolution from the UN Security Council. The Lebanese official described the proposal as a significant breakthrough, saying both the United States and Israel were now open to considering the option.

Other alternatives under discussion include establishing the force under another United Nations agency or creating it through a memorandum of understanding with the Lebanese government.

No Breakthrough on Israeli Withdrawal

Despite progress on the verification mechanism, negotiators failed to reach an agreement on the next phase of Israel’s military withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Lebanon proposed that Israeli forces withdraw from the southern towns of Bint Jbeil and Khiam, but the discussions did not produce a consensus.

Another round of negotiations is expected to take place in early September as efforts continue to implement the US-brokered agreement and reduce tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.

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