Israel and Lebanon sat down in Washington this week to hash out something that, even a year ago, would have sounded wildly optimistic: a structured plan for Israeli forces to pull back from parts of southern Lebanon and hand control to the Lebanese army.
The US is brokering the arrangement, which would see select areas transferred to vetted units of the Lebanese Armed Forces, with American training baked in to ensure those units have zero ties to Hezbollah.
What’s actually on the table
The talks kicked off on June 23, 2026, and are expected to continue through June 25. They build on earlier rounds held June 2-3, which first outlined the concept of creating designated pilot zones under LAF control.
Israel plans to maintain a security presence in a designated buffer zone even as it withdraws from other areas. The pilot scheme is essentially a test: can the Lebanese army credibly fill the vacuum that Israeli forces leave behind?
