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A US military delegation has arrived in Beirut to discuss the mechanisms for Israel’s withdrawal from a designated “pilot zone” in occupied southern Lebanon, a Lebanese military official confirmed on Saturday.
The delegation met with the Lebanese army command to implement a June 26 framework agreement.
The deal mandates that Israel gradually pull its forces out of southern Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese military to assume full control over two small pilot zones.
A US official stated that the first pilot zone will launch within days as planners map out future zones, with US Central Command coordinating logistics between the two nations.
However, complex challenges remain.
Hezbollah has rejected the framework, and Israeli officials insist their troops will occupy a 10-kilometre-deep “security zone” as long as Hezbollah remains armed.
The war has displaced more than 1,000,000 people in Lebanon since Hezbollah entered the regional conflict in March.
Although a truce is technically in place, Israel launched several intermittent strikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday.
Lebanon and Israel will continue their indirect negotiations in Rome next week. Lebanon stresses that its attendance depends entirely on Israel pulling out of the first two pilot zones.
These talks will set the stage for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s upcoming visit to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump.
