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🇮🇱 Israel /Conflict & Security

Hezbollah disarmament remains key test of US-backed Lebanon-Israel security framework

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A US-brokered security framework between Lebanon and Israel is entering a delicate implementation phase, focusing on Hezbollah's disarmament and strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces.
  • Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with US President Donald Trump to discuss the framework's goal of ending hostilities and preventing future conflicts.
  • The process involves gradual Israeli withdrawals from southern Lebanon, with Lebanese army units deploying to test the state's ability to maintain exclusive security control.

The meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US President Donald Trump in Washington carried substantial symbolism, but the real test is unfolding in southern Lebanon and along regional corridors used to supply Hezbollah with weapons. Aoun's July 21 meeting with Trump occurred as a US-brokered framework between Lebanon and Israel entered its early implementation phase. Discussions focused on Hezbollah's weapons, bolstering the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and securing an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. Aoun articulated a long-term objective: "ending the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel forever," viewing stability as a process to prevent recurring conflict.

ending the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel forever

— Joseph AounLebanese President Joseph Aoun described the framework’s ultimate goal during his meeting with US President Donald Trump.

This ambition hinges on ground developments. Israeli forces have begun withdrawing from designated areas in southern Lebanon, allowing Lebanese army units to deploy. This pilot model aims to assess whether the state can progressively assume exclusive security responsibility. The process is expected to be gradual, expanding based on the broader framework's implementation and the LAF's capacity to maintain control after Israeli withdrawals.

So, now we are waiting to see the implementation. We saw … before the meeting in the White House, the Lebanese army started taking control of two areas in South Lebanon, as per the framework agreement.

— Marwan AbdallahMarwan Abdallah, head of the Foreign Affairs Department at the Lebanese Kataeb Party, commented on the implementation of the security framework.

Marwan Abdallah, head of the Foreign Affairs Department at the Lebanese Kataeb Party, emphasized the need for continued external guarantees. "You need a third entity, and I think the US army is the partner of the Lebanese armed forces and, of course, is the partner of the Israelis, so they can play a role in being the monitoring side and being the one that guarantees the agreement between," he stated. The pilot zones in southern Lebanon are a major test for the LAF, determining if they can achieve sustainable control and prevent the re-establishment of armed groups outside state authority.

You need a third entity, and I think the US army is the partner of the Lebanese armed forces and, of course, is the partner of the Israelis, so they can play a role in being the monitoring side and being the one that guarantees the agreement between

— Marwan AbdallahMarwan Abdallah, head of the Foreign Affairs Department at the Lebanese Kataeb Party, discussed the need for a monitoring entity in the security framework.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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