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Israel and Lebanon Discuss U.S.-Backed Plan for Partial Israeli Withdrawal and Retained Border Buffer Zone
Israeli and Lebanese officials discussed a U.S.-backed proposal for handing some territory seized in the recent war to the Lebanese army. The Washington talks, which began Tuesday, continue through Thursday with focus on training, vetting and withdrawal timelines.
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-backed proposal for Israeli forces to hand over some territory seized during the war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese military, Al-Monitor reported. The Israeli officials said Lebanese troops involved would undergo U.S. training and vetting to ensure they are not linked to Hezbollah, while Israel would maintain a military presence in a buffer zone along the border.
The proposed pilot project is being discussed in the latest round of talks that began in Washington on Tuesday. A senior Lebanese security official said Wednesday would feature specific military-to-military discussions on the pilot zones and that the talks would focus on a timeline for withdrawal. Any plan would emerge only after the final day of talks on Thursday, the official added.
Hezbollah has rejected the diplomatic track. , Al-Monitor reported. -Israeli war on Iran. A ceasefire has largely held since Sunday even as Israeli forces have remained deployed deep inside southern Lebanon in a self-declared security zone.
The interim agreement signed by Iran and the U.S. last week requires both countries and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent end of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and to ensure Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
