Clearfield Team to Plan South Lebanon Pilot Pullback

Lt. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, the U.S. Marine commander handling the south Lebanon pullback pilot, came to Israel on July 4 with his team to plan the move; transfer of the area to the Lebanese Army is estimated to take one to three weeks. IDF Chief Eyal Zamir met Clearfield on Wednesday to advance coordination mechanisms affecting Israel, the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah. The State Department framework confirms the U.S.-supported pilot-zone path, tied to Lebanese Army deployment and Hezbollah disarmament. Israel should keep any redeployment conditions-based, so northern families gain security, not a premature gift to Iran's proxy.