Head of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L) US General Joseph Clearfield met on Friday with top officials in Beirut as part of follow up efforts with Lebanon and Israel on the military aspect of the framework agreement signed between the two countries in June. The United States has been trying to broker an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which has raged since March in parallel with the wider US-Israeli war against Iran. The June agreement says the Lebanese army will gradually restore control over all of Lebanon, disarming Hezbollah. The first phase began in two pilot zones. The talks did not, however, produce an agreement on the next area from which Israeli troops would withdraw so that Lebanese troops could take control. Clearfield, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and the accompanying military delegation, visited on Friday Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh. The discussions, which were attended by Berri’s Media Advisor Ali Hamdan, touched on the situation in southern Lebanon, as well as the Group’s work in light of the start of identifying the pilot areas and establishing a mechanism to verify the Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese Army. Berri stressed that "Israel has not ceased its violations and attacks against Lebanon and the south since November 2024,'' adding that the attacks have continued systematically, involving the destruction of villages, bulldozing of fields and agricultural areas, and the burning of forested areas, "not to mention targeting heritage sites and cultural heritage." Berri said that "the key to stability remains compelling Israel to halt its war and withdraw to the international borders." Asked about the talks between Lebanon and Israel and the date of the next round, Ambasssador Issa said: "The negotiations will continue, but no date has been set yet." The US delegation also visited Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail to discuss the military aspect of the negotiation framework and developments in southern Lebanon. Salam stressed the need for Israel to halt its destruction operations, expand the scope of the pilot zones, and establish a clear timetable for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam receives Issa and Clearfield (National News Agency) Previous rounds of talks had focused on the sequence of the Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, and the verification mechanism, without reaching a decision on moving to a new area. Issa reiterated this point on Friday, stating that defining the status of the current areas must precede discussions about other areas. Shuttle Diplomacy Between Beirut and Tel Aviv Friday's meetings were part of a shuttle diplomacy conducted by Clearfield between Beirut and Tel Aviv to follow up on the implementation of military arrangements. Clearfield arrived in Beirut on Wednesday from Tel Aviv, where he had held talks with Israeli officials. In the Lebanese capital, he met with President Joseph Aoun and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal before departing again for Tel Aviv later that afternoon. He returned to Beirut on Friday. During that stop in Beirut, Clearfield discussed measures related to implementing the framework agreement and developments in southern Lebanon, at a time when the implementation process continues to face issues related to the Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, the verification mechanism, and the transition to additional pilot areas.
