A US military delegation will arrive in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, within days to coordinate and establish a field mechanism for launching work in the agreed "pilot zones" under the Lebanon-Israel framework agreement, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Thursday.
On June 26, Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire and a US-sponsored framework agreement providing for a phased Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, beginning with two unspecified "pilot zones."
Issa made the remarks after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Beirut, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.
The presidency said Aoun and Issa discussed the Lebanese president's planned official visit to the US at the invitation of President Donald Trump, as well as developments in Lebanon and the wider region.
On Wednesday, a senior Lebanese source said Aoun had been invited to visit Washington on July 21 for talks with Trump. The visit is expected to focus on implementation of the framework agreement.
During the meeting, Aoun stressed the need to consolidate the ceasefire in southern Lebanon and called for pressure on Israel to halt its military operations and comply with the framework announced at the conclusion of Lebanese-US-Israeli negotiations in Washington.
He also called for an end to Israeli bombardment, demolitions and bulldozing operations in towns and villages still occupied by Israeli forces.
Issa said Aoun's upcoming visit to Washington is particularly important at this stage and reflects Trump's interest in Lebanon and efforts to achieve security and stability in the country.
Asked about a meeting scheduled in Rome on July 14-15, Issa said moving the talks from Washington to the Italian capital was solely for technical reasons related to facilitating travel for ambassadors and delegation members.
He said the Rome meeting would be organizational and executive in nature, focusing on implementing the Washington framework, particularly through the formation of specialized working groups to carry out agreed arrangements that may require legal or technical experts.
Issa said the Rome talks would build on understandings reached in Washington, adding that additional meetings would be held in Rome or elsewhere to oversee the phased implementation of the agreement.
Regarding the timeline for launching work in the "pilot zones," Issa said preparations were underway and that a US military delegation would arrive in Beirut within days to coordinate and establish the implementation mechanism on the ground.
He said it was essential to prevent any security vacuum when Israeli forces withdraw from the designated areas, adding that the timeline for field implementation would depend on the outcome of the coordination meetings.
Israel has continued military operations in Lebanon since March 2, killing more than 4,300 people and injuring over 12,000 others, according to official figures.
Israeli forces also continue to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war, while advancing more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory during the latest offensive.
