US Military Delegation Arrives in Beirut for Withdrawal Talks
A US military delegation met with Lebanon's army command in Beirut to discuss the implementation of Israel's withdrawal from a "pilot zone" in occupied southern Lebanon, a Lebanese military official told AFP on Saturday on condition of anonymity. The official stated, "The American military delegation arrived and began meetings with the Lebanese army command to discuss the mechanisms for implementing the first pilot zone from which the Israelis will withdraw, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy."
Framework Agreement and Pilot Zones
Under a framework agreement reached on June 26, Israel will gradually withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon where it has deployed troops to fight Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shia movement. As part of the deal, the long-disempowered Lebanese military will take full control of two small areas dubbed pilot zones. The official added, "This is the main objective the American military delegation is bringing to Lebanon... it is the translation and implementation of the framework agreement."
US Ambassador and Washington Confirm Mechanism
US ambassador Michel Issa told President Joseph Aoun on Thursday that the American delegation was coming to "determine the mechanism" for the deal's implementation. In Washington, a US official speaking on condition of anonymity said, "The first pilot zone will launch in a matter of days, and further pilot zones are being mapped out and planned." US Central Command will coordinate on the zones with both countries, according to the official.
Hezbollah Rejects Agreement; Security Zone Stance
The agreement has been rejected by Hezbollah. It does not set a timetable for Israel's withdrawal, and Israeli officials have vowed that their forces will remain in a "security zone" 10 kilometers (six miles) deep as long as Hezbollah remains armed. The war, which began in early March when Hezbollah entered the wider Middle East conflict on the side of Iran, displaced more than one million people in Lebanon, according to the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA.
Displacement and Return Figures
On Saturday, OCHA said more than 732,000 people had now returned home, up from 640,000 a week before. That leaves more than 430,000 still displaced, the agency added. Despite a truce, Israel has pursued intermittent strikes. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported several in the south on Saturday, including in Mansouri, where seven people were wounded.
Upcoming Talks in Rome and Aoun's Washington Visit
The latest talks between Lebanon and Israel, which have no formal relations but have met for five rounds of negotiations since the start of the war, will take place in Rome next Wednesday and Thursday. Lebanon had initially conditioned its participation on Israel withdrawing from two pilot zones. However, a Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP on Saturday that "Lebanon will participate," without offering further details. The talks precede President Aoun's expected visit to Washington later this month at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.
