Lebanon-Israel Talks Set to Stall on 'Pilot Zones' Until October Vote, Splitting Into Rome and Florida Tracks

September 9, 2026 — US-mediated Lebanon-Israel talks on Hezbollah disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon are set to make no further progress on the disputed 'pilot zones' issue until after Israel's October elections, according to a Lebanese official, restructuring the single Rome-based format used since the 7th round (Aug 4-6) into two channels: a military track meeting in Florida and a political track continuing in Rome. 'They don't want to discuss the pilot zones from now until the end of October, because of the elections,' the official said, while Israeli forces continue operations in southern Lebanon, including establishing a 2-4km buffer zone Lebanon rejects. A Lebanese official said Beirut wants to 'keep this process working' despite feeling 'trapped' in the US-brokered framework with limited international involvement. The US separately said the process is still moving in a 'positive direction' despite the setback.