Assistant of the first Lebanese president to visit Washington in 17 years

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun departed for the United States, where he is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, marking the first visit by a Lebanese president to the U.S. since 2009.

A Lebanese presidential statement said: “A Lebanese-American summit will be held at the White House, and President Aoun will hold meetings and consultations with several U.S. officials addressing the situation in Lebanon and the means to stabilize the ceasefire and restore security and stability to Lebanon generally, and to the south in particular, as well as Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territories it occupies and the extension of state authority over all areas.”

Aoun places great hope in this visit and in the pressure Trump can exert on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt Israeli attacks and establish a timeline for Israel’s withdrawal from the south.

However, the visit comes after the failure of a scheduled military meeting between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States to discuss how to begin implementing the experimental zones outlined in the “Framework Agreement” signed between Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26 under U.S. sponsorship. The agreement specifically calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah and Israel’s gradual withdrawal from territories it infiltrated in southern Lebanon.

Israel stated today that the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the vicinity of the towns of Froun and Ghendouria, in southern Lebanon, which had not previously hosted Lebanese forces, constitutes deployment in the first experimental zone, with the second experimental zone, where Israeli forces are present, to be implemented at a later date.

Israel says it wants to monitor Lebanon’s commitment to withdrawing Hezbollah’s weapons from those villages before handing over any other sites to the Lebanese Army. In response, the Lebanese Army deployed to these towns last week, a move observers viewed as confirmation that it does not need to coordinate with the Israelis regarding deployment in these towns, and that it is capable of operating there. They argued that Israel must withdraw from areas it originally occupies if it wishes to fulfill its commitments.

A U.S. military delegation from the Central Command is expected to arrive in Beirut, comprising General Brad Cooper, coinciding with Aoun’s meeting with Trump. The delegation’s mission is to establish an executive framework for the experimental zones and begin weapon withdrawal in exchange for agreeing on the areas from which Israel will withdraw.

Residents are expected to be allowed to return to their areas and homes. However, a real dilemma cannot be overlooked regarding Hezbollah members and cadres, as Israel insists on preventing Hezbollah elements from returning to those areas and to all regions south of the Litani River. This dilemma could be one of the factors leading to the collapse of the agreement, as Hezbollah considers these members and cadres to be natives of these villages. Another dilemma concerns private property: Israel insists that the Lebanese Army enter private properties, buildings, and homes, and inspect any underground floors, where weapon caches are usually located. However, there is Lebanese fear that the army could clash with Hezbollah supporters if it enters their homes without judicial authorization and without coordinating with the owners.

Meanwhile, the official National News Agency reported today of new Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon targeting two towns in the Sidon and Nabatieh areas. A Lebanese soldier was killed and two others were injured in the explosion of a suspicious object in the southern town of Mansouriya.