Washington talks focus on pilot zone transfer in southern Lebanon
Final discussions scheduled for Thursday as Hezbollah rejects initiative and Israeli forces maintain presence in self-declared security zone
Israeli and Lebanese negotiators are engaged in Washington-based talks regarding a US-backed pilot project to transfer control of specific areas in southern Lebanon from Israeli troops to the Lebanese Armed Forces. The discussions, which commenced on Tuesday, include a timeline for Israeli withdrawal, with final talks scheduled for Thursday. The proposal stipulates that Lebanese troops deployed in these zones would undergo US training and vetting to ensure they are not affiliated with Iran-backed Hezbollah. While Israel intends to maintain a military presence in a buffer zone along the border, the initiative has been rejected by Hezbollah.
A senior Lebanese security official confirmed that specific military-to-military discussions regarding the pilot zones would take place on Wednesday. The official stated that any concrete plan would only emerge after the conclusion of talks on Thursday. The official did not respond to requests for comment regarding the Israeli account of US vetting procedures for Lebanese troops.
The current diplomatic track is described as being overshadowed by Tehran’s negotiations with the US, with Lebanon serving as a focal point. The latest conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began when Hezbollah opened fire in solidarity with Tehran during the early days of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
An interim agreement signed last week by Iran and the US requires an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and mandates respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. A ceasefire has largely held since Sunday, despite Israeli forces remaining deployed deep inside southern Lebanon where they have established a self-declared security zone.
Israel has previously seized a self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon, citing the need to shield northern Israel from potential Hezbollah attacks. The Lebanese Armed Forces are the national military of Lebanon, while Hezbollah is an Iran-backed militant and political group in the country. The context references a concurrent US-Israeli war on Iran and a recent interim agreement between the US and Iran.
