Israel, Lebanon negotiate ‘Hezbollah-free zone’ before withdrawal
Shafaq News- Middle East
Israeli and Lebanese military officers are holding US-mediated talks to define the boundaries of a proposed “Hezbollah-free zone” ahead of an Israeli pullback from two villages in southern Lebanon, Israel’s public broadcaster said on Sunday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reviewing the proposal as Israeli officials seek assurances from the Lebanese Army and the US Central Command that Lebanese forces are ready to deploy in the designated pilot zones.
The US-brokered security framework advanced by Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26 envisions a phased Israeli withdrawal in exchange for Lebanese Army deployment and the disarmament of armed groups. Hezbollah and several Lebanese political factions rejected the proposal, while Israel maintains that any pullback depends on Hezbollah’s disarmament. A reported security annex would also allow Israeli forces to retain operational freedom in the south without a timetable for a full withdrawal.
Read more: South Lebanon framework: What we know so far
Netanyahu previously identified Zawtar Al-Gharbiya and Froun as the first two villages included in the pilot phase. Froun’s municipal council, however, dismissed the designation, arguing that the town is neither under Israeli occupation nor located within the so-called Yellow Line.
Although US President Donald Trump last month called on Netanyahu to show greater restraint in Lebanon, Lebanese media reported on Sunday that Israeli warplanes struck Nabatieh Al-Fawqa, the Ali Al-Taher heights, and the Al-Hariq neighborhood between Kfartebnit and Nabatieh Al-Fawqa. Artillery shelling also targeted Deir Seryan and the outskirts of Qantara in Marjayoun district, while Israeli forces demolished structures in Al-Tiri, in Bint Jbeil district, and a drone dropped a stun grenade over Al-Mansouri in Tyre district.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry put the cumulative toll from the war between March 2 and July 5 at 4,304 dead and 12,203 wounded, including women and children.
Read more: US-Iran ceasefire deal leaves Lebanon without guarantees
