US ambassador visits Lebanon army-held ‘pilot zone’ near Israel

On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, visited a southern village that has recently come under the control of the Lebanese army as part of a framework agreement with Israel. The visit aimed to mark the withdrawal of the Israeli military from areas previously occupied in southern Lebanon, alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army into what are known as "pilot zones."

According to Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA), Issa toured the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, where he stopped at a church. During the visit, an Israeli drone kept an eye on the area, reporting on the movements of Israeli military vehicles in the neighboring town. Israel maintains a military presence within its "security zone," a 10km-deep stretch of Lebanese territory along the border.

Recently, Israel destroyed a strategic Hezbollah position at the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatieh region, causing a powerful blast that registered a 4.1 magnitude earthquake.

Further discussions between Israel and Lebanon regarding the implementation of the framework agreement were scheduled for this month but have been postponed to October. A source from the Lebanese presidency revealed that during the August talks, Israel was reluctant to discuss new pilot zones unless the Lebanese army had full control of the initial ones.

The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington are scheduled to meet this week to discuss the progress of the agreement. President Joseph Aoun also paid a visit to Zawtar al-Gharbiya on Saturday, where he inspected army units and observed Israeli military positions. Violence has decreased since the June framework agreement and a broader US-Iran deal, but Israel has continued its attacks on Lebanon.

Hezbollah, which involved Lebanon in the conflict through strikes on Israel in March, opposes the negotiations with Israel and has not disarmed. However, it has not claimed any recent attacks. Israeli strikes have resulted in over 4,300 casualties since the hostilities began in March, as reported by Lebanese authorities.