Israel blows up homes in southern Lebanon as Aoun arrives in Washington
At dawn on Sunday, July 19, the Israeli army carried out major bombings targeting a number of residential houses in southern Lebanon, including the towns of Kafr Tibnit, Haddaha, Deir Syrian, and the outskirts of the eastern town of Zouter, amid US pressure to prevent any bombing operations in the Ali al-Taher castle to maintain the course of negotiations.
The Israeli army continued to bombard various areas in southern Lebanon, and the areas of the Tyre district witnessed airstrikes and drones dropping sound bombs in the al-Mashaa neighborhood between Majdal Zone and al-Mansouri.
In the district of Bint Jbeil in Nabatieh governorate, the occupation aircraft bombarded the town of Haris with artillery, which led to injuries, and its forces cut down all the trees planted on the sides of the roads in the city of Bint Jbeil.
The Lebanese army announced that one of its soldiers was killed and another officer and a soldier were wounded after a suspicious object exploded in an army vehicle in the town of Mansouri in the district of Tyre, stressing that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
On the other hand, the Israeli occupation army claimed that the Lebanese vehicle passed over an explosive device that did not belong to its forces, claiming that the Lebanese army vehicle entered the "security zone" without prior coordination.
Aoun in Washington
Politically, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived last night in Washington, at the beginning of an official visit that comes in response to an invitation from his US counterpart Donald Trump, and this is the first visit by a Lebanese president to the United States since 2009.
The Lebanese presidency stressed that the visit aims to discuss ways to stabilize the ceasefire, restore security and stability, and discuss the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from the areas it occupies in the south to extend the full authority of the state, in addition to supporting the army and the national economy.
President Aoun is scheduled to begin his official meetings on Sunday with a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and President Donald Trump will receive him before next Tuesday afternoon at the White House to hold a bilateral summit, followed by a series of meetings with senators and officials in the US administration, while Aoun received a message from the US ambassador in Beirut Michel Issa before his departure on the need to complete the visit to separate the Lebanon file from Iran's regional track.
Obstacles to "Experimental Zones"
Western diplomatic sources revealed that the US side is exerting pressure to implement the "framework agreement" signed on June 26 between Lebanon and Israel, by launching the first phase related to the "test zones" in conjunction with Aoun's visit to Washington, but a fundamental difference hinders implementation, as Israel sets the equation of "land for weapons" on the condition that the Lebanese army first withdraw Hezbollah's weapons and dismantle its military structure before withdrawing, while Beirut rejects any formula that detracts from the principle of a comprehensive and complete withdrawal.
Prior to his departure, President Aoun made a call to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nabih Berri, who stressed adherence to the 2006 model and carried a message confirming Lebanon's rejection of Israeli conditions.
Coinciding with the negotiations, the Lebanese Armed Forces took pre-emptive measures and deployed its forces in the towns of Furun, Ghandouriya, Zuter al-Gharbia, Qalawiya, Burj Qalawiya, and Sarifa to assert its field capability without coordination with the occupation, while Israel refuses to withdraw from the strategic eastern town of Zutar as a main supply line for its forces towards Ali al-Taher Hill.
According to Lebanese sources, the dilemma of the return of the residents emerges as one of the main obstacles, as Israel adheres to preventing the return of Hezbollah elements and cadres to the areas south of the Litani, threatening to assassinate them, which the party rejects in its entirety, vowing to respond, and a military delegation from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is expected to arrive in Beirut in conjunction with the Washington summit to complete the development of the executive framework and follow up on the security verification mechanisms led by the United States.
The future of UNIFIL and the proposed European alternative
Concerned diplomatic sources explained that the coming week will be a pivotal one in Washington to determine the fate of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) as its mandate nears the end of its mandate in 2026 and the start of its gradual withdrawal in 2027, as Washington marginalizes its role in favor of the supervision of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on the implementation of agreements and border control, with US intake recorded on the army commander, General Rudolph Haikal, for refusing to coordinate directly with the Israeli military delegation.
Diplomatic circles revealed joint French, German, and British coordination with Washington to form a European force mandated by the European Union to replace UNIFIL to prevent a security vacuum, whose technical mission is limited to training and equipping the Lebanese army and internal security forces, and its work is concentrated north of the Litani River, where Israel will not allow the deployment of any force south of it without its consent.