An agreement brokered by the US has paved the way for the Lebanese army to begin security deployments in three villages in the country's south. The trilateral framework signed on June 26 between Lebanon, Israel and the US envisages Israel's phased withdrawal from its positions in southern Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces assuming sole security responsibility in those areas.
The US State Department announced that operations in the villages of Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiya were launched "in accordance with the Trilateral Framework and under the auspices of the Lebanese Military Coordination Group." Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott described the step as a "direct result" of talks held last week in Rome between Israeli and Lebanese delegations.
Pigott said Washington would continue working with both sides to fully implement the framework, adding that these three pilot areas aim to test the implementation process before expanding to other areas along the Litani River.
Under the agreement, the Lebanese army will secure areas vacated by Israeli troops and document that these areas are free of Iran-backed Hezbollah's weapons and military infrastructure. However, Hezbollah rejected the framework, arguing that any security arrangement in Lebanon should be tied to broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
Israeli officials said their forces would remain in a 10-kilometer "security zone" along the border as long as Hezbollah retains its weapons. The agreement does not include a timeline for Israel's withdrawal.
A Lebanese military source told AFP that the army has intensified patrols in several villages, including Froun, adjacent to areas still under Israeli control. These developments come ahead of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday.
