The United States State Department confirmed on Monday that pilot zone operations have begun in the southern Lebanese villages of Froun, Srifa and Zawtar Al-Gharbiya, the first tangible step under the trilateral framework signed by Lebanon, Israel and Washington on 26 June. The announcement, which the State Department described as a “direct result” of talks held in Rome last week, sets in motion a phased process whereby Israeli forces withdraw from designated areas and the Lebanese Armed Forces assume full security control, with verification that no non-state armed groups or infrastructure remain. Only one of the three villages had been under direct Israeli military occupation; the other two were subjected to Israeli strikes during the last war, according to regional media reports.

Viewed from Washington, the launch of the pilot zones is a diplomatic milestone that tests the viability of the broader framework before its expansion to other localities on both banks of the Litani River. The United States retains political and military direction of the process but will not deploy personnel on the ground to monitor implementation. Israeli officials have framed the withdrawal as conditional: the Israel Defense Forces will pull back gradually only if Hezbollah is absent from the evacuated areas and the Lebanese Army demonstrates the capacity to maintain them as demilitarised zones. Israel has stated it will not complete a full withdrawal until Hezbollah is disarmed and pushed back from the border.

Beirut has insisted that the mechanism remain strictly indirect, refusing any direct military coordination with Israel, with which it remains formally at war. This position has made a third-party verification presence essential. European diplomatic sources indicate that Italy has expressed readiness to contribute to such a mechanism, while Germany is advocating a broader European mission that could eventually assume responsibilities from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), whose mandate runs until the end of 2026 with a withdrawal phase foreseen in 2027. No definitive choice has been announced, and the credibility of the future arrangement, according to analysts in European capitals, will hinge on its mandate, freedom of movement and ability to independently establish violations rather than relying on information supplied by either party.

The announcement coincides with a visit to Washington by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the first by a Lebanese head of state since 2009, who is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The Lebanese Army has already begun deploying in Froun under an operational plan that includes searches of private properties in coordination with the judiciary. Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, rejects the framework, and its posture in the south remains the central variable. The pilot zones are intended as a limited test; their success or failure is expected to shape both the pace of further Israeli withdrawals and the design of the international monitoring presence that will be required to sustain any durable arrangement.