A pilot program in which Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) troops will enter designated areas in southern Lebanon to verify they have been cleared of Hezbollah operatives and weapons is expected to begin in the near future, two people familiar with the matter told The Jerusalem Poston Monday. Later on Monday, the IDF confirmed that the "Safe Zone" pilot program had begun with cooperation from the US and Lebanese militaries. "As part of the pilot, teams from the IDF, the US military, and the Lebanese Armed Forces are coordinating and planning the continued implementation of the agreement," the military stated.
Also on Monday, the US State Department said operations in pilot zones had begun in the villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar al-Gharbiya in southern Lebanon “in accordance with the Trilateral Framework and under the auspices of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.” No deadline had been given for the LAF’s demilitarization of pilot zones, an Israeli official told the Post, adding that further implementation is contingent on the success of the initial mobilization.
Meanwhile, talks between Israel and Lebanon on the topics of normalization and demilitarizing Hezbollah are expected to resume at the beginning of August, the Post has learned. The development follows last week’s meeting in Romebetween the Israeli and Lebanese delegations, which were led by Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Mouawad under the auspices of senior US officials. (Read More)
