US military delegation soon in Beirut to implement framework deal

A U.S. military delegation will arrive in Beirut in the coming days to coordinate the ground implementation of a framework agreement that calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory.

U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa said Friday that preparations were underway to implement the Israeli withdrawal from the pilot zones, as he met with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker Nabih Berri, ahead of a new round of talks between Lebanon and Israel this month in Rome.

Issa revealed that a U.S. military delegation is expected in Beirut within days to coordinate the ground implementation mechanism, emphasizing that avoiding a security vacuum upon the Israeli withdrawal is essential. The exact start date will be determined based on the outcomes of these coordination meetings, he said.

Lebanon and Israel had previously met for five rounds of U.S.-sponsored talks in Washington aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hezbollah and paving the way for peace.

The two sides recently reached a framework agreement that calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory while Lebanon's army deploys into "pilot zones".

The agreement -- rejected by Hezbollah -- does not set a timetable for Israel's withdrawal, and Israeli officials have also vowed that their forces will remain in a "security zone" 10 kilometers deep as long as Hezbollah remains armed.

A diplomatic source familiar with the talks said Lebanon demands Israel's withdrawal from two "pilot zones" in the south as a condition for participating in the next round of direct negotiations in Rome next week.

Ambassador Issa discussed with Aoun, Salam and Berri the implementation of the framework agreement.

President Aoun stressed during his meeting with Issa the need to consolidate the ceasefire and to pressure Israel to halt military operations and abide by the framework agreement. He told Issa that the shelling, bombing, and bulldozing operations in southern Lebanon need to stop.

Aoun is expected to visit Washington later this month at the invitation of his American counterpart Donald Trump.