Report: Lebanese Army wants to escort any int'l verification team

The Lebanese Army has outlined specific conditions for the involvement of any future international verification mechanism in south Lebanon, emphasizing the necessity of conducting operations in conjunction with the army and under its sovereign authority.

According to a report by al-Binaa newspaper, Lebanon's proposed framework aims to integrate the technical independence of an international entity with the state's exclusive control over ground operations. This approach seeks to ensure that any verification process respects Lebanese sovereignty while leveraging international expertise.

The conditions are framed within the context of a broader framework agreement reached in June. This agreement reportedly calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the region, and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to southern Lebanon. The deployment is envisioned to begin in designated "pilot zones."