Lebanon's President Aoun meets Pope Leo in Rome

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met Pope Leo XIV during an official visit to Rome, where he also engaged in talks with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The trip coincides with ongoing US-brokered negotiations between Lebanon and Israel aimed at implementing a framework agreement to end Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory.

Recent discussions held at the US embassy in Rome centered around the formation of a committee to oversee so-called "pilot zones" for Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon. This committee would be responsible for verifying Hezbollah's disarmament in these areas, the Lebanese army's assumption of control, and Israeli forces' withdrawal. However, Lebanon and Israel have yet to reach an agreement on the committee's membership, though Italy has been mentioned as a potential participant.

The Italian host country has expressed its willingness to take part in the committee's work. President Aoun's meetings in Rome occur as Lebanon strives to maintain international support for the framework agreement's implementation, amidst ongoing negotiations over the necessary guarantees to oversee it on the ground. Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon remain a significant hurdle, with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stating that Israel will not withdraw from the security zone it has declared in the region.