Joseph Aoun Meets Rodolphe Haykal To Implement Washington Pilot Zones Amid Israeli Attacks

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal at Baabda Presidential Palace to discuss preparations to implement the Washington framework agreement in designated "pilot zones" where the Lebanese army is expected to deploy in parallel with an Israeli withdrawal.

The New Arab said the meeting focused on "the situation in the south of the country amid continued Israeli attacks on several towns and villages," and it added that a US military delegation was due to meet Haykal later to discuss implementation.

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A U.S. official told Ynetnews that "The first pilot zone will launch in a matter of days," with CENTCOM coordinating with both countries as the IDF withdraws from one area and the Lebanese Army moves in.

The framework’s Article Three described the Lebanese Armed Forces as gradually assuming "full and effective security responsibility" in the pilot zones, while Israeli officials referred to Froun, Ghandouriyeh, and Zawtar al-Gharbiya as possible candidates.

The New Arab reported that Lebanon is pushing for pilot zones to include areas currently occupied by Israeli forces south of the Litani River, while Israel insists on maintaining its presence along what it calls the "Yellow Line."

Ynetnews reported that Aoun linked Lebanon’s continued participation in talks with Israel to the start of an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and it said a U.S. official described the pilot phase as beginning "within days."

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Aoun said, "We want the U.S. administration to help us regain all of our land," and he added, "We will not relinquish an inch of our land or a single citizen."

Al-Jazeera Net

The New Arab said Aoun welcomed regional efforts for deescalation but insisted that "no external party should negotiate on Lebanon's behalf," while it reported that Hezbollah rejected the framework and refused to abide by the agreement.

It also said Aoun told Alakhbar Al Yawm that Hezbollah’s decisions ultimately lay with Iran, and it noted that Aoun was scheduled to visit Washington on 21 July to meet US President Donald Trump.

La Croix’s recap said Trump announced that the Lebanese president and the Israeli prime minister would meet at the White House "in the next four or five days," and it quoted Trump’s framing that the ceasefire would include Hezbollah.

La Croix reported that Trump said Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire starting at 9:00 p.m. GMT on Thursday, April 16, and it said Trump stated the truce would include Hezbollah.

The Lebanese army urged residents not to return to southern villages and towns until a ceasefire with Israel takes effect at midnight local time, warning against approaching Israeli forces and to beware of unexploded munitions and "suspicious objects."

La Croix said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the truce as offering "the opportunity for a historic peace agreement with Lebanon," while he reiterated that Israeli armed forces would "stay in the south [Lebanon] in a border strip 10 kilometers deep."

In the same recap, La Croix reported that at least seven people were killed and 33 wounded in an Israeli strike on a village in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese health ministry warning the toll was "preliminary and not final."

The New Arab said Lebanese and Israeli delegations were scheduled to meet in Rome on 14 and 15 July, with legal and technical experts expected to attend talks focused on implementing the framework agreement.