Military talks to finalize pilot zones for Israeli withdrawal in southern Lebanon
BEIRUT: Lebanese and Israeli military officials are set to meet virtually on Friday under US sponsorship to finalize a list of pilot zones, agree on a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal from them and expand the Lebanese Army’s deployment in southern Lebanon.
The technical talks follow the conclusion on Wednesday of the latest round of Lebanese-Israeli negotiations in Rome, where officials focused on mechanisms for implementing the June 26 framework agreement.
A military source told Arab News that media reports identifying the proposed pilot zones were inaccurate, adding that the areas cited are not under Israeli occupation.
“The whole point of pilot zones is for the Israeli army to pull out of territory it occupies, so the Lebanese Army can move in, keep order and bring weapons under state control,” the source said.
