US military delegation in Beirut negotiates first Israeli withdrawal pilot zone as Lebanon ties Rome talks to pullout

US military delegation in Beirut

A US military delegation began talks with Lebanon's army command in Beirut on Saturday, July 11, to establish the mechanism for implementing the first "pilot zone" where Israeli forces would withdraw, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy. The visit follows a June 26 framework agreement designed to gradually pull Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. US ambassador Michel Issa had told President Joseph Aoun on Thursday that the American team was coming to "determine the mechanism" for the deal's implementation.

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.

The first pilot zone is expected to launch "in a matter of days", according to a US official, with further zones being mapped out. US Central Command will coordinate the zones with both countries.

Framework of the June 26 agreement

The agreement, brokered by the US on June 26, outlines a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army into two pilot zones. It does not set a timetable for a full pullout, and Israeli officials have said forces will remain in a 10km security zone as long as Hezbollah is armed. The deal was rejected by Hezbollah, and Israeli forces have continued occasional strikes despite a ceasefire.

Political and military resistance

Hezbollah's opposition is echoed by a broad range of Lebanese political forces. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, and Christian leader Gebran Bassil argue the text does not guarantee Israel's total withdrawal. The Lebanese army itself is reluctant, particularly about deploying north of the Litani River where it risks direct confrontation with Hezbollah fighters. The army is also uneasy about coordinating with Israel on Hezbollah's disarmament, according to sources.

Hezbollah has maintained its opposition to those direct talks between Lebanon and Israel, preferring to maintain a ceasefire between the US and Iran which stipulates a ceasefire here in Lebanon.

Displacement and violence persist

The war, which began in early March when Hezbollah entered the wider conflict on Iran's side, has displaced more than a million people, according to UN's OCHA. As of Saturday, 732,000 people had returned home, up from 640,000 a week ago, leaving approximately 430,000 still displaced. Despite the truce, Israeli raids continued in the south. The state-run National News Agency reported that seven people were injured in attacks on residential neighborhoods in al-Mansouri, Tyre district. Israeli tanks and bulldozers advanced into Beit Yahoun, and strikes hit Houla.

Rome talks and conditions

The next round of direct Lebanon-Israel negotiations, the sixth since the war began, is scheduled for Rome on Wednesday and Thursday, July 15-16. Lebanon has conditioned its participation on an Israeli withdrawal from the two pilot zones. The Beirut meetings thus serve as a test of whether the framework can progress before President Aoun's expected visit to Washington.