Lebanon’s president will meet with Trump in Washington to push for Israeli troop withdrawal

BEIRUT (AP) 鈥� president will meet with U.S. President on Tuesday to wrap up a four-day visit to Washington, in a bid to bring about long-term calm in the war-torn country after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.

Joseph Aoun’s landmark meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel continue to hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. Lebanon hopes they will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and for the Lebanese military to receive support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway.

Lebanon and Israel on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon as well as the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in the area. It also lays out steps toward an eventual peace agreement between both countries, which have never held formal diplomatic ties and have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel鈥檚 establishment.

The U.S. State Department announced Monday that operations in three villages deemed part of a 鈥減ilot zone鈥� had begun, without giving details on what that entailed. Two of the three villages, Froun and Srifa, are not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present there, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh.

The Lebanese army in a statement said it was preparing for Israel to withdraw from Zawtar al-Gharbieh and that it had begun deploying troops to the area Tuesday. The Israeli military said it 鈥渨ill adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission,鈥� without specifying the location.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military guidelines said Tuesday that the withdrawal had not yet begun.

Village mayor waiting for safety to be confirmed

Abed Ezzeldine, Mayor of Zawtar al-Gharbieh said that they are waiting for the Lebanese military to tell him whether its safe for residents to check on their homes after they fully deploy and patrol the area. He is concerned about the safety of his village given that the Israeli military is still present in another village next door, while Israeli strikes continue nearby.

鈥淭he villages are intertwined, so we don鈥檛 feel safe because the Israelis are present there, they鈥檙e on our borders and are not very far from us,鈥� Ezzeldine told The Associated Press, who said Zawtar al-Gharbieh is uninhabitable.

鈥淥nce the army gives us permission to enter Zawtar al-Gharbieh, we as civilians will go in, but only to check it out and see how things are and then we will leave,鈥� he said. “We can鈥檛 stay because the infrastructure is completely damaged and houses have been leveled. They (the Israelis) have bulldozed the roads.鈥�

Rubio says US will continue to support framework agreement

Aoun met with Secretary of State on Sunday, who said Washington will continue to endorse the Lebanese agreement and support the agreement’s full implementation. Rubio described the meeting as 鈥渧ery positive鈥� and warned that Lebanon will 鈥渘ever be fully at peace鈥� as long as the Hezbollah issue is not resolved.

鈥淗ow do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country,鈥� Rubio said after the meeting. Skeptics in Lebanon fear that a military confrontation with Hezbollah could lead to a civil war, as government officials have also urged for investment into the country’s battered infrastructure to empower the weakened state, which Rubio echoed.

鈥淭his is not just about military stuff,” he added. “This is about how can we attract more U.S. and international investment into Lebanon.鈥�

The Lebanese military last week increased its presence in some of the areas expected to be included in the pilot zone, including the three villages, with troops patrolling and setting up checkpoints. Though recent talks in Rome have signaled that the agreement鈥檚 implementation will begin soon, Israeli troops have not withdrawn from the areas under control.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said they plan to keep forces long term in a 鈥渟ecurity zone鈥� in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has dismissed the direct talks brokered by the United States and instead backed Washington鈥檚 talks with their key ally and patron Iran to end their war, which also includes ending the war in Lebanon as a condition to bring back calm.

Lebanon鈥檚 government came to power on a reformist platform in early 2025, vowing to disarm all non-state groups including Hezbollah. It blames Hezbollah for dragging the country into another war with Israel in March when the militant group fired several rockets toward northern Israel after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

Beirut’s leadership, however, has condemned Israel鈥檚 subsequent ground invasion and massive aerial campaign in the country, which killed over 4,000 people and displaced 1.2 million others. While grappling with stark political opposition from Hezbollah and allies within the deeply divided country, Lebanon’s leadership insists that Israeli withdrawal and international financial support for Lebanon鈥檚 cash-strapped army is crucial for a sustainable security solution.

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Associated Press writer Giovanna Dell’Orto in Jerusalem contributed.