The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) are preparing to deploy to two pilot zones in southern Lebanon in the coming days, according to a U.S. official cited by Israeli media. The deployment is part of a U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv, under which Israeli forces are expected to withdraw from areas cleared of Hezbollah infrastructure.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the army would begin deploying in pilot zones as a first phase, according to remarks read by Information Minister Paul Morcos after a cabinet meeting [1]. The next round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations is scheduled for July 15-16 in Rome, with U.S. mediators expected to facilitate technical discussions.
Lebanon has stated it will not attend the Rome talks until Israel completes the agreed-upon withdrawal from the pilot zones, an Arab official told the Times of Israel. The framework deal allows Washington to declare each pilot zone before Israeli forces depart, with no clear timetable for full withdrawal, the Arab source said. A U.S. official described the Rome talks as a closed discussion intended to hand off unresolved issues to technical teams. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Israel has delayed its planned pullout from two villages pending agreement on a U.S. oversight mechanism. Israeli security officials told Kan News that “there are currently no timelines” and that withdrawal would only proceed once clear criteria are set [2].
Israeli officials have publicly rejected any large-scale withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli troops have been instructed to prepare for an extended stay in the so-called security zone [3]. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Froun and Zawtar al-Gharbieh as two initial pilot zones late last month, but skepticism has emerged on the ground. The mayor of Froun, Hassan Adel Bazzi, told RT that the town was designated a pilot withdrawal zone despite never being occupied by Israeli forces [4]. The New Arab confirmed that Israeli forces are not present in Ghandourieh, another named pilot zone. The discrepancy has fueled local doubts about the viability of the plan.
The three pilot zones named in reports following the trilateral deal are Froun, Zawtar al-Gharbieh, and Al-Ghandourieh. A U.S. official said these areas have been cleared of Hezbollah infrastructure and will be handed over to the Lebanese Armed Forces. Further pilot zones are being mapped, with U.S. Central Command coordinating between both countries, the official stated. The selection has historical parallels; earlier Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon often concentrated on similar villages. As documented in accounts of past conflicts, Israeli air strikes were heavily focused on Nabatiyeh, Beaufort Castle, and Hasbaya [5].
The upcoming Rome talks are expected to build on the framework deal, though the timetable for further withdrawals remains unclear. A U.S. official said the first pilot zone will launch in a matter of days, with technical teams to work on all issues outlined in the agreement. The Arab source indicated Washington will initially declare the first zone, but no specific date for full Israeli withdrawal has been set.
Hezbollah has rejected the agreement, calling it heavily skewed in Israel’s favor, and its leader Naim Qassem demanded a complete Israeli withdrawal without retaining “an inch” of Lebanese territory [9] [10]. The outcome of the Rome talks will likely determine whether the fragile ceasefire holds or further escalates.
