According to AFP, the Lebanese army on July 20 (local time) began receiving missions to ensure security in 3 villages in the south of the country, marking the first step of implementing the framework agreement on Israel's withdrawal of troops and disarmament of Hezbollah forces.
The US side said that operations have been deployed in pilot areas including Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiya, within the framework of the agreement and under the coordination of the Trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.
US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that this is the direct result of negotiations between the Lebanese and Israeli delegations in Rome (Italy) last week. At the same time, he affirmed that the US will continue to coordinate with the two sides to fully implement the contents of the agreement.
The framework agreement was signed by Lebanon, Israel and the United States on June 26 after many rounds of direct negotiations, which stipulated that Israel would withdraw troops in stages from its controlled positions in southern Lebanon.
Three pilot areas were selected to assess the effectiveness of the implementation mechanism before expanding to other areas along the Litani River (southern Lebanon).
However, the agreement does not specify a specific deadline for Israel to complete the withdrawal and has faced opposition from Hezbollah. Israeli officials announced that the country's forces will continue to maintain a presence in the area stretching about 10km along the border until Hezbollah is disarmaged.
Although there are no official diplomatic relations, Lebanon and Israel are still negotiating to end hostilities after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel in March, dragging Lebanon into a widespread conflict in the Middle East.
Negotiations in Rome took place right before Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's visit to Washington. Mr. Aoun is scheduled to hold talks with US President Donald Trump on July 21.
