U.S. Military Delegation Discusses Israel’s Pilot-Zone Withdrawal in Lebanon

On July 11, 2026 a U.S. military delegation met with the Lebanese army in Beirut to examine how Israel will pull back from the first “pilot zone” in southern Lebanon. The meeting, described by an unnamed Lebanese officer, focused on the mechanisms that will allow Lebanese forces to assume control of the area once Israeli troops withdraw.

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The talks follow a framework agreement reached on June 26, 2026 under which Israel will gradually withdraw from portions of its occupied southern-Lebanon positions used in the campaign against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shi’ite movement. The accord, rejected by Hezbollah, does not set a timetable for the overall pull-out, and Israeli officials have said their forces will remain in a 10-km “security zone” as long as Hezbollah stays armed. The fifth round of indirect Lebanon-Israel negotiations is scheduled for Rome on July 15-16, preceding President Joseph Aoun’s expected visit to Washington later in the month at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump.

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The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that more than 732,000 displaced Lebanese had returned home by July 11, up from 640,000 a week earlier, leaving over 430,000 still displaced. Intermittent Israeli strikes continued despite the truce, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

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U.S. Ambassador Michel Issa told President Aoun on July 9 that an American delegation would arrive “to… determine the mechanism” for implementing the pilot-zone plan. A U.S. official later said the first pilot zone would launch “in a matter of days, and further pilot zones are being mapped out and planned.” Lebanon has conditioned its participation in the Rome talks on Israel’s withdrawal from two pilot zones. Hezbollah has publicly rejected the agreement, arguing it does not guarantee the group’s security concerns.

The Straits Times

• “The American military delegation arrived and began meetings with the Lebanese army command to discuss the mechanisms for implementing the first pilot zone from which the Israelis will withdraw, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy,” — Unnamed Lebanese military official

The Straits Times

• “This is the main objective the American military delegation is bringing to Lebanon... it is the translation and implementation of the framework agreement.” — Unnamed Lebanese military official

The Straits Times

• “the first pilot zone will launch in a matter of days, and further pilot zones are being mapped out and planned” — Unnamed U.S. official

The Hindu

• “an American military delegation will arrive in Beirut in the coming days to... determine the mechanism” — Michel Issa, U.S. ambassador to Lebanon

The Straits Times