Implementation of the “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon under the Framework Agreement remains stalled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to allow the Lebanese army to deploy simultaneously with an Israeli troop withdrawal, a move intended to prevent a security vacuum. The issue has become a top US priority as Washington presses Netanyahu to facilitate the Lebanese army’s deployment ahead of the sixth round of US-mediated Lebanese-Israeli talks, scheduled for July 15-16 in Rome. The negotiations are expected to discuss the formation of joint committees, including a coordination committee headed by US General Joseph Clearfield, to oversee the Lebanese army’s deployment in the areas covered by the agreement and coordinate field operations to ensure smooth implementation. The talks are also expected to consider expanding the pilot zones beyond southern towns already under Lebanese state control to include, in phases, towns that remain under Israeli occupation. The proposed committee would intervene immediately to address any operational problems that could disrupt the deployment. A ministerial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that a recent meeting between the Lebanese army command and the US monitoring team overseeing the deployment ended with an understanding that Lebanese forces should deploy simultaneously with an Israeli withdrawal. The plan would extend beyond areas already under state control to include occupied towns. According to the source, the main obstacle remains Netanyahu himself, who opposes both the concept of pilot zones and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied Lebanese towns. The source said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio intervened during the fourth and fifth negotiating rounds to pressure the Israeli delegation into making the pilot zones a main clause because they would pave the way for the Lebanese army’s deployment up to the international border. The source argued that Netanyahu’s position is shaped by domestic politics as he prepares for parliamentary elections and therefore opposes any explicit commitment in the Framework Agreement requiring an Israeli withdrawal. Instead, Netanyahu insists that the Lebanese army first deploy only in towns outside the occupied areas to test its ability to establish full control and prevent any armed Hezbollah presence before considering subsequent phases. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, however, continues to insist on simultaneous deployment and withdrawal, the source underlined, adding that his position has received backing from the US monitoring team following a meeting with Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM). The source added that Aoun reiterated the same position during talks with US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, who expressed understanding for Lebanon’s insistence on simultaneity and did not object to amending certain provisions of the Framework Agreement, describing it as a negotiating roadmap rather than a final accord. In practical terms, the source said, any amendments would facilitate implementation on the ground with US support. Lebanese and American preparations for the deployment plan are complete, pending Netanyahu’s approval of simultaneous implementation. Issa is said to view the planned July 21 meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Aoun as an opportunity to gauge whether the US administration is prepared to back Lebanon with concrete action rather than rhetoric. The source said Washington’s military pressure on Iran serves two objectives: compelling Tehran to honor its commitments under its memorandum of understanding with the US and ending its interference in Lebanon by encouraging Hezbollah to facilitate implementation of the Framework Agreement, now viewed as the only viable path after the military option collapsed. According to the source, Trump remains committed to supporting Lebanon, while Washington continues to pressure Iran to curb the Revolutionary Guard’s role in Lebanese affairs and remove obstacles to implementing the agreement, seen as the only route toward an Israeli withdrawal.
