Israel, Lebanon hold US-mediated military talks as tensions mount ...
Military representatives from Israel, Lebanon and the United States began three days of talks Tuesday in Tampa, Florida, amid deep disagreements over Hezbollah's disarmament, continued Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon and growing uncertainty over the region's security arrangements.
The meetings, held at U.S. Central Command headquarters and scheduled to continue through Thursday, are strictly military in nature and do not constitute another round of direct political negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Saturday that a military delegation would attend the meetings to present Beirut's demands for an end to Israeli military escalation.
"A Lebanese military delegation will participate to present Lebanon's demands for an end to Israeli escalation, in the hope of achieving results consistent with the framework agreement," Aoun said.
The talks come as diplomatic efforts between the two countries remain largely stalled, with Israel accusing the Lebanese Armed Forces of failing to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure in designated areas of southern Lebanon. Lebanese officials, meanwhile, accuse Israel of repeatedly violating existing agreements and undermining efforts to stabilize the border.
Low expectations in Beirut
Lebanese officials have expressed little optimism about the prospect of a breakthrough in Tampa.
A Lebanese report published Tuesday quoted official sources as saying there were no signs of optimism surrounding the meetings.
"The United States, as is well known, imposed this round, and it is nothing more than an attempt to say that the negotiation process is still ongoing, even if it has produced no results," a senior official was quoted as saying.
The official described the timing as particularly unfavorable, with Israeli elections just a week away.
"This round comes at a dead time, considering that the elections in Israel are only a week away," the official said. "There is no reason to believe that Israel, which has offered Lebanon nothing since the framework agreement was signed, will offer anything this week or at any later point regarding a ceasefire or expanding the scope of the pilot zones."
The official accused Israel's political and security establishments of remaining committed to military operations in Lebanon and maintaining a presence south of the Litani River.
"The central principle upheld by Israel, both its political and security establishments, is the continuation of aggression against Lebanon and the refusal to withdraw from the area south of the Litani River," the official said. "They state this clearly."
Similar assessments emerged earlier this month.
On Oct. 13, the Saudi-owned Al Hadath television channel cited a Lebanese source as saying expectations for the Tampa meeting were limited.
The source claimed Israel was not cooperating with a U.S.-backed verification mechanism and instead wanted a direct operations room with the Lebanese military to verify conditions in the designated pilot zones, even after Lebanese troops had deployed there.
"Washington understands Beirut's concerns regarding Israel's demands," the source said.
At the center of the dispute are two pilot zones established in southern Lebanon as part of efforts to assess the Lebanese military's ability to remove Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure.
Israeli officials maintain that the Lebanese army has failed to clear the areas effectively, while Lebanon disputes Israel's account of its military operations and the implementation of existing agreements.
Despite the deadlock, U.S. officials have sought to maintain military-level engagement between the sides to prevent the diplomatic process from collapsing entirely.
Israeli operations draw criticism across Lebanon's political divide
The talks are taking place against the backdrop of continued Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The operations have drawn criticism from across Lebanon's political spectrum, including Hezbollah supporters and activists who have demanded a change in government policy, an end to direct negotiations with Israel and a complete Israeli withdrawal.
Criticism has also come from senior Lebanese officials opposed to Hezbollah's independent military activities, including Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Both leaders have condemned Israeli strikes while maintaining their support for diplomacy as the preferred means of resolving the conflict.
"Israel has not complied with the framework agreement, and the southern region continues to be subjected to daily violations," Aoun said this week.
"These actions will not produce a positive outcome. They will only strengthen the Lebanese people's attachment to their land and their rights."
Aoun said continued Israeli operations were also obstructing the Lebanese government's efforts to achieve its security objectives.
"Lebanon remains committed to a diplomatic solution despite the difficulties," he said. "It comes at a much lower cost than a devastating war, whose price is paid by the Lebanese people, particularly the residents of the south. It is time for Lebanon to have some respite."
Fears grow over security vacuum after UN peacekeepers leave
The diplomatic uncertainty has been compounded by concerns about the future of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, whose mandate is scheduled to end later this year.
Lebanese authorities fear the mission's departure could create a security vacuum along the Israeli border and have called on the UN Security Council to establish an alternative arrangement.
UNIFIL said Tuesday that its personnel were continuing operations in Lebanon while the Security Council examined possible arrangements for the period following the mission's conclusion.
The issue has become a central concern in discussions between Lebanese officials and visiting foreign delegations.
The Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat quoted ministerial sources as saying regional tensions and the possibility of further deterioration had dominated recent meetings with international representatives visiting Lebanon.
According to the sources, the delegations warned Lebanese officials against becoming involved in another military confrontation.
"Lebanon received advice from the visiting delegations, which warned against being drawn into a new adventure," the sources said.
The warnings also suggested that a renewed confrontation could unfold under different conditions from previous rounds of fighting.
"The messages conveyed emphasize that in the event of a new confrontation, Israel will not be bound by the restrictions agreed upon in the past," the sources said.
IDF accuses Lebanese army of failing to act against Hezbollah
The dispute intensified Tuesday after the IDF publicly accused the Lebanese Armed Forces of failing to fulfill their responsibilities under security understandings reached in 2024.
In a statement issued by IDF Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col. Ella Waweya, the military said the Lebanese army had been tasked with preventing Hezbollah from maintaining weapons and military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
"Under the 2024 understandings, which guided Israeli and Lebanese actions until Operation Roaring Lion, the Lebanese Army was responsible for acting against the presence of weapons and military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon," Waweya said, referring to the latest round of fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed terrorist group.
"However, this responsibility was not fulfilled as required, allowing Hezbollah to continue entrenching itself, arming itself, and building military infrastructure in the area."
The IDF said there remained a substantial gap between Lebanese declarations and conditions on the ground.
"Even during the Lebanese Army’s 2025 Operation Homeland Shield, a significant gap remained between statements and the reality on the ground, and the operation did not dismantle the terrorist organization’s military capabilities or prevent it from continuing its activities and buildup," Waweya said.
The IDF cited an incident involving a military facility in the southern Lebanese village of Kafra, which it said Hezbollah had used to store weapons.
According to the military, the facility was referred to the Lebanese army through the U.S.-led monitoring mechanism in December 2025.
The Lebanese army subsequently reported that it had addressed the site, the IDF said.
However, Israeli surveillance allegedly revealed several months later that Hezbollah continued operating at the facility and had removed weapons and military equipment to preserve its capabilities.
"Several months after the Lebanese Army had already declared that it had addressed the asset, Hezbollah was still able to use it for its own purposes," the military said.
The statement was accompanied by footage that the IDF said showed Hezbollah operatives loading weapons from the facility onto a truck.
The military said its forces struck and destroyed the truck after identifying the activity.
It also alleged that individuals within the Lebanese army had coordinated enforcement operations with Hezbollah, allowing the group advance warning to remove weapons and equipment.
"The Intelligence Directorate has identified instances in which elements within the Lebanese Army coordinated with Hezbollah regarding enforcement activities. This coordination assisted efforts to prevent, delay, or thwart enforcement operations and enabled Hezbollah to prepare in advance to remove and transfer weapons from the area," the statement said.
The IDF called on the Lebanese army to take more effective action against Hezbollah.
"The Lebanese Army is responsible for ensuring the full and thorough implementation of all tasks assigned to it," the military said.
"The IDF emphasizes that it expects the Lebanese Army to act more decisively and effectively to fulfill its responsibilities and prevent the presence of weapons and military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in southern Lebanon."
The military added that Israeli forces and military intelligence would continue monitoring Hezbollah's attempts to rebuild its capabilities.
"The IDF and the Intelligence Directorate, continue to monitor Hezbollah’s attempts to rebuild and strengthen its capabilities and will not allow any violation that poses a threat to the State of Israel and its civilians," the statement said.
Lebanese army rejects allegations as false
The Lebanese Armed Forces rejected the Israeli accusations in an official statement Tuesday evening, calling them false and accusing Israel of attempting to undermine the army's credibility at home and abroad.
The Lebanese military presented a different account of the Kafra facility, saying its personnel began operating at the site in December 2025 and continued their work until March 16.
According to the statement, operations were suspended and the area evacuated following a request from the ceasefire monitoring mechanism after Israel threatened to strike the facility.
The Lebanese army said it had explicitly reported at the time that its mission remained incomplete and that military equipment and ammunition were still present.
"The army command clarifies that in December 2025, military units began operating at a military facility in the town of Kafra, in the Bint Jbeil district, and continued their activities until March 16," the statement said.
"Work at the facility was halted and the area evacuated at the request of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, following Israeli threats to attack the site. The Lebanese army reported at the time that the mission had not been completed and that military equipment and ammunition remained there."
The army said it repeatedly requested permission to resume operations and remove the remaining equipment but was refused by Israel.
It said its units eventually resumed the mission on Aug. 16 in coordination with the ceasefire monitoring mechanism and completed the operation on Oct. 16, 2026, when the facility was closed.
The Lebanese military also challenged the authenticity of the IDF's account of the accompanying footage.
According to the Lebanese statement, the video showing a truck being struck by Israeli forces was recorded on July 3, 2026, in the Tyre area, about a week after the framework agreement was signed.
The army said the incident was unrelated to Israel's account of its handling of the Kafra facility.
"All events and activities are documented with the committee overseeing the ceasefire," the Lebanese military said. "This fact refutes the Israeli allegations."
The statement accused Israel of deliberately spreading misinformation during the ongoing negotiations.
"The false information and dissemination of lies by Israel are part of an attempt to undermine the Lebanese army's credibility domestically and internationally, in parallel with the negotiations taking place," it said.
"The army command reiterates its full commitment to fulfilling its duties and responsibilities, while Israel continues its attacks and violations of the existing understandings."
Netanyahu tells Lebanon to clear Hezbollah or Israel will act
Israel is represented at the Tampa meetings by two senior military officers: Maj. Gen. Tal Politis, the IDF's defense attaché in Washington, and Brig. Gen. Amichai Levin, head of the military's Strategic Division.
Although diplomatic contacts between Israel and Lebanon have largely stalled, U.S. officials considered the military meetings important for preserving momentum in the negotiations.
The central issue remains whether the Lebanese army can effectively dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the two designated pilot zones.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the dispute during a briefing when asked what Israel would demand at the meetings and whether it had set a deadline for the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah.
"We will demand one simple thing from them," Netanyahu said. "Please, the Lebanese army can go in. We gave you two test areas, 'pilot zones.' Go in and clear them. Can you do it? Good. Can't you? We'll take care of it."
Netanyahu said Israel would not allow threats from Hezbollah to accumulate along its northern border.
"We are not allowing these threats to build up," he said. "We are not operating only along the line. If they try to attack us, we go after them and strike. But you want to prove otherwise? By all means, prove it. Unfortunately, up to this moment, you haven't."
The prime minister nevertheless suggested there had been some limited changes in Lebanon's conduct.
"There is a certain change that we are seeing," he said, without elaborating.
Netanyahu also linked Hezbollah's elimination as a military force to the prospect of a broader diplomatic breakthrough with Lebanon.
"If Hezbollah is eliminated, as we will ensure happens, then certainly at that moment we will have a peace agreement with Lebanon, and very good things can happen," he said.
He further claimed that some Lebanese citizens, including Shiite Muslims, were hoping for his victory in the upcoming elections.
"There are Shiites who say, 'We want Netanyahu to win because it is essential for our future,'" he said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz reinforced the government's position, saying Israeli forces would remain in the security zone until Hezbollah was fully disarmed.
"The IDF will not move from the security zone as long as Hezbollah has not been disarmed throughout Lebanon and the threat to residents of northern Israel has not been removed," Katz said.