The US State Department issued a statement announcing that the Lebanese Army has launched the first batch of “pilot zone” operations in southern Lebanon. This move is an important step in implementing the US-Lebanese-Israel tripartite framework agreement. The aim is to test the ability of the Lebanese government forces to take over regional security and disarm Hezbollah through small-scale pilot projects. According to the US State Department, this operation is being carried out in accordance with the tripartite framework agreement reached in Washington on June 26. Under the auspices of the Lebanese Military Coordination Group, the Lebanese Army has begun “pilot zone” operations in the three villages of Furong, Srifa and Zautar al-Gharbia to demilitarize Hezbollah. Earlier, Lebanon and Israel held a new round of negotiations in Rome, Italy, from July 14 to 15. The two sides made progress on issues such as the structure of the “pilot zone”, operating guidelines, and the mechanism for the deployment of the Lebanese army. According to the core arrangement of the tripartite framework agreement, the Israeli army will gradually withdraw from the “pilot area” designated in southern Lebanon, hand it over to the Lebanese government forces, and complete the deployment accompanied by the US military. The plan aims to test the ability of the Lebanese Government forces to take over regional security and prevent Hezbollah from re-entering through small-scale pilots. If implemented successfully, this mechanism will gradually be extended to more regions in southern Lebanon, eventually leading to the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army and the restoration of national sovereignty in Lebanon. However, the implementation of the agreement still faces multiple challenges. Hezbollah in Lebanon has unequivocally rejected the agreement and any efforts to disarm, and denounced the agreement as “shameful and invalid.” Analysts pointed out that as long as Hezbollah refuses to disarm, Israel will not give a clear withdrawal schedule, and the Lebanese government forces will not be able to safely take over the region. Furthermore, the direction of the confrontation between the US and Iran may also become a variable affecting the implementation of the agreement. US Secretary of State Rubio reiterated during a meeting with Lebanese President Aoun on the 19th that the United States supports the implementation of the tripartite framework agreement and called on all parties to advance matters such as disarming Hezbollah and destroying its terrorist infrastructure. A US State Department spokesperson said that the two sides will now enter the expanded technical talks, focusing on implementing all elements of the tripartite framework agreement, with the goal of pushing Israel and Lebanon to reach a comprehensive agreement.

The US State Department issued a statement announcing that the Lebanese Army has launched the first batch of “pilot zone” operations in southern Lebanon. This move is an important step in implementing the US-Lebanese-Israel tripartite framework agreement. The aim is to test the ability of the Lebanese government forces to take over regional security and disarm Hezbollah through small-scale pilot projects. According to the US State Department, this operation is being carried out in accordance with the tripartite framework agreement reached in Washington on June 26. Under the auspices of the Lebanese Military Coordination Group, the Lebanese Army has begun “pilot zone” operations in the three villages of Furong, Srifa and Zautar al-Gharbia to demilitarize Hezbollah. Earlier, Lebanon and Israel held a new round of negotiations in Rome, Italy, from July 14 to 15. The two sides made progress on issues such as the structure of the “pilot zone”, operating guidelines, and the mechanism for the deployment of the Lebanese army. According to the core arrangement of the tripartite framework agreement, the Israeli army will gradually withdraw from the “pilot area” designated in southern Lebanon, hand it over to the Lebanese government forces, and complete the deployment accompanied by the US military. The plan aims to test the ability of the Lebanese Government forces to take over regional security and prevent Hezbollah from re-entering through small-scale pilots. If implemented successfully, this mechanism will gradually be extended to more regions in southern Lebanon, eventually leading to the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army and the restoration of national sovereignty in Lebanon. However, the implementation of the agreement still faces multiple challenges. Hezbollah in Lebanon has unequivocally rejected the agreement and any efforts to disarm, and denounced the agreement as “shameful and invalid.” Analysts pointed out that as long as Hezbollah refuses to disarm, Israel will not give a clear withdrawal schedule, and the Lebanese government forces will not be able to safely take over the region. Furthermore, the direction of the confrontation between the US and Iran may also become a variable affecting the implementation of the agreement. US Secretary of State Rubio reiterated during a meeting with Lebanese President Aoun on the 19th that the United States supports the implementation of the tripartite framework agreement and called on all parties to advance matters such as disarming Hezbollah and destroying its terrorist infrastructure. A US State Department spokesperson said that the two sides will now enter the expanded technical talks, focusing on implementing all elements of the tripartite framework agreement, with the goal of pushing Israel and Lebanon to reach a comprehensive agreement.