Israel, Lebanon discuss US-backed proposal for transfer of some southern territory to Lebanese army

• Israeli-Lebanese talks propose Israel hands some invaded territory to US-vetted Lebanese troops, maintaining a border buffer zone.
• Discussions are ongoing in Washington until June 25, focusing on withdrawal timelines, despite Hezbollah's rejection of the diplomatic track.
• The talks follow a ceasefire and an Iran-US agreement requiring an end to military operations and ensuring Lebanon's territorial integrity.

JERUSALEM/BEIRUT – Talks between Israel and Lebanon include discussion of a US-backed proposal for Israeli forces to hand over some of the territory they have invaded during the war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese military, according to Israeli and Lebanese officials.

The proposed “pilot” project is being discussed in the latest round of Israeli-Lebanese talks, which are going ahead even after they appear to have been eclipsed by Iran’s move to make Lebanon central to its talks with the US.

Israeli forces have seized a swathe of southern Lebanon during the war that was ignited when Hezbollah opened fire at Israel in a show of support for Tehran, days after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran.

A ceasefire has largely held since June 21, the longest lull in the fighting yet. But Israeli forces are still deployed deep inside southern Lebanon, citing the need to shield northern Israel from Hezbollah attack.

Israeli officials say troops would be vetted

The Israeli officials said the Lebanese troops involved would undergo US training and vetting to ensure they are not linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Israel would maintain a military presence in a buffer zone along the border.

Asked about the Israeli officials’ comments, a senior Lebanese security official said discussions were ongoing in Washington and that June 24 would see specific military-to-military discussions, including on the pilot zones.

The Lebanese official said the discussions would focus on a timeline for withdrawal and that any plan would emerge only after the final day of talks on June 25. The official did not respond to a request for comment on the Israeli officials’ account of US vetting of Lebanese troops.

Lebanon’s army, which recruits from across the country’s sectarian mosaic, has long received US military aid, part of US policy to bolster government security institutions in a country where critics say Hezbollah has undermined the state.

Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim group established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, has consistently demanded the Lebanese government withdraw from the US-backed talks with Israel – Beirut’s highest-level contacts with Israel in decades.

‘De-confliction cell’

Tehran required a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of its interim deal with the US, which requires both countries and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent end of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and to ensure Lebanon’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty”.

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on June 23 that Lebanon was “an unquestionable part of the agreement” and included the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

A joint statement issued at the end of US-Iranian talks in Switzerland on June 22 said the parties had agreed to create “a de-confliction cell” to ensure adherence to the termination of hostilities in Lebanon.

On June 23, the US said it was committed to forming the cell to consolidate the ceasefire in Lebanon, and that details on how it would operate were still under review.

A US proposal for Lebanese army-controlled “pilot zones” featured in a ceasefire plan agreed by Lebanese and Israeli officials on June 3.

Hezbollah rejected the plan, which was contingent on the group ceasing fire and evacuating its fighters from a swathe of the south.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 22 that Israeli troops had full freedom of action to thwart any Hezbollah threat, and would remain in Lebanon for “as long as is necessary”. REUTERS