Will Italy play a 'verification' role in south Lebanon?

Contacts are underway between the United States and several European countries to strengthen the verification mechanism for implementing the pilot zone arrangements in southern Lebanon, a diplomatic source said.

The source explained to al-Joumhouria newspaper that Italy has expressed its readiness to contribute to this effort in coordination with Washington, while Lebanon has no objection to the participation of any European country in this mechanism.

The source added that the recent deployment of the Lebanese Army in the town of Froun was in implementation of an operational plan prepared by the military establishment. The source explained that the next phase will involve completing searches of private properties in full coordination with the Lebanese judiciary.