US State Department Announces Beginning of Implementation of the "Pilot Zone" in South Lebanon

The US State Department announced on Monday, July 20, the  start of the implementation  of the "Pilot Zone" operations, today, in the villages of Faroun, Sarifa and Zuter al-Gharbiyah, in accordance with the Tripartite Framework, and under the auspices of the Lebanese Military Coordination Group.

"This achievement was a direct result of the talks held last week between Lebanon and Israel in Rome," the ministry said.

The United States will continue to work closely with the parties with a view to successfully implementing the framework.

The "Axios" news website, quoting an Israeli official, reported that the Israeli army has set a date for the start of its first withdrawal from experimental areas in southern Lebanon to be replaced by the Lebanese army.

The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz quoted an Israeli official as saying that the Lebanese side insisted on obtaining guarantees to prevent the targeting of the test areas throughout the period of the presence of the Lebanese forces there.

AFP quoted a Lebanese military source as saying that the army has intensified its patrols in villages adjacent to the areas of Israeli deployment.

Informed sources reported that the Lebanese army is preparing to deploy to verify that the areas are free of weapons and militants.

The Lebanese Army Command stated that the military units continue to carry out their missions in coordination with the military working group in preparation for entering the western town of Zuter as soon as the Israeli withdrawal is completed.

U.S., Saudi support for sovereign options

The Lebanese Presidency revealed a phone call between President Joseph Aoun and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which discussed regional and field developments.

During the call, the Saudi Crown Prince affirmed the Kingdom's support for Lebanon and the options adopted by President Aoun to establish sovereignty and independence, and extended an official invitation to the Lebanese President to visit Riyadh.

President Aoun began his meetings in Washington with a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the presence of US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa.

Rubio said after the meeting that the talks focused on how to strengthen the Lebanese government's capacity to be the country's sole military force, as well as discussing opportunities to attract international investment and consider the possibility of reopening direct flights between the United States and Lebanon.

Israeli shelling continues and death toll rises

The Lebanese National News Agency confirmed that Israeli forces carried out bombing and bulldozing operations in the western town of Zutar and the areas between Arnoun, Kafr Tibnit and the Saf al-Hawa locality in the city of Bint Jbeil.

The agency added that Israeli forces burned houses in the town of Kafr Tibnit, and carried out another explosion in the town of Taybeh in the Marjayoun district.

According to the sources on the ground, the Israeli army continued to fire and shell artillery on neighborhoods in the town of Houla and the town of Kunin, in conjunction with flying drones and throwing sound bombs at the Mansouri public, the Marjayoun plain and the plain of the city of Khiam.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that the total toll of the war has risen to 4,328 dead and 12,230 wounded since the outbreak of the clashes.

The historical data on the ground indicated that the framework agreement signed in January followed military confrontations that broke out last February and March, noting that the agreement does not include a tight timetable for a full withdrawal, in light of the Israeli side's adherence to maintaining a security distance until next June and October.