Israel launches pilot safe zone program in southern Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in Washington for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, marking the first official visit by a Lebanese head of state since 2009. The trip comes amid a tense security environment in Lebanon, as the country faces renewed pressure from Israel and internal challenges to its sovereignty.

Israel has advanced into a sizable portion of southern Lebanon following rocket strikes by the Iran‑backed militia Hezbollah on northern Israel. Tel Aviv insists that Hezbollah be disarmed before any Israeli withdrawal, a condition the Lebanese army is unlikely to meet. In response, Israel has launched a “pilot programme” for “safe zones,” effectively transferring control of three Lebanese villages to the Lebanese Army while the Lebanese government seeks to reassert its authority over the area.

The meeting between Aoun and Trump underscores the strategic importance of Lebanon to U.S. interests in the region. It also highlights the fragile balance between Israeli military actions, Hezbollah’s influence, and Lebanon’s struggle to maintain control over its territory amid external and internal pressures.