A US military delegation will arrive in Beirut in the coming days to help establish two “pilot zones” in south Lebanon as part of a Washington-brokered plan between Israel and Lebanon, Michel Issa, US ambassador to Lebanon, said on Thursday.
The arrival of the delegation is “necessary to avoid any vacuum when the Israeli forces withdraw from the specified area”, Mr Issa said after meeting Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri.
The so-called pilot zones are areas where Lebanon's military would assert control after Hezbollah leaves. The first such area will be established within days, a US official said.
The announcement comes ahead of planned talks next week between Israel and Lebanon, due to take place in Rome. The US military’s Central Command is co-ordinating with both countries ahead of the talks.
“The first pilot zone will launch in a matter of days, and further pilot zones are being mapped out and planned,” the US official said.
“We will soon begin outreach to international partners to help the Lebanese government effectively restore sovereignty in these zones and across the country more broadly.”
The next round of direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to take place in Rome on July 15 and 16. Israel announced the latest round and the change in venue from Washington to the Italian capital on Tuesday, with Lebanon not notified until Wednesday morning.
“What will happen in Rome is a continuation of what was agreed upon in Washington,” Mr Issa said. “Several meetings will be held in the Italian capital or elsewhere to follow up on implementation, according to the stages that will be agreed upon.”
A western diplomat told The National the Rome meeting would be a “working session” during which operational logistics would be discussed “to determine exactly what the pilot zones will entail, what the initial actions will be, and what is expected of all parties”.
“It's about getting down to brass tacks,” the diplomat said.
The US official said the Rome talks would be a “closed discussion that will enable the governments to hand off to technical teams, which will work on all issues outlined in the framework [agreement]".
Under the agreement signed on June 26, “pilot zones” will be established where the Lebanese army would deploy and assert full control as Hezbollah leaves, while Israeli forces would withdraw from those areas. The framework does not set a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal.
It was quickly rejected by Hezbollah, while Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the country's forces would remain in south Lebanon for “as long as necessary”.
“We did not ask permission from any party to enter Lebanon and we do not need permission to remain in Lebanon,” Mr Katz said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Israel has not shown any indication of preparing to withdraw from southern Lebanon, with persistent attacks indicating it is entrenching its military positions.
The Israeli army overnight shelled the strategic ridge of Ali Al Taher – which it had focused on taking over as it furthered its advance into southern Lebanon before the latest ceasefire framework paused fighting in June.
Members of an Israeli settler group, Uri Tzafon, which advocates settling in southern Lebanon, said their members crossed into Lebanon on Tuesday. The group reached the Hasbani River before reportedly withdrawing at the order of the Israeli army.
“Come on, let's settle here,” one of the members said in a video as he filmed the scene.
It is not the first time the group, which is backed by some Israeli Knesset members and ministers, has infiltrated across the border.
Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri warned against underestimating the small settler group.
“It must be remembered that the settlement movement in the West Bank was started by a group that was marginal at the time, Gush Emunim,” he posted on X, comparing the current situation with some of the first Israeli colonies in the 70s.
Negotiations at the diplomatic level are not reflected on the ground, where the situation remains fragile, as Israeli forces continue to demolish homes and villages and attack southern Lebanon almost daily.
