Israel and Lebanon Set Hezbollah-Free Zone Criteria

Current July 6 Israel-time reporting says IDF and Lebanese army officers have opened a U.S.-mediated channel to define operational criteria for a Hezbollah-free zone before any pilot Israeli pullback from two villages in southern Lebanon. Reports say Israel sent Lebanon a list of Lebanese officers suspected of previously leaking Israeli intelligence to Hezbollah, demanding they be kept out of the new mechanism. Netanyahu also convened a small security discussion, while an Israeli source said Jerusalem is waiting for the Lebanese army and U.S. Central Command to confirm that Lebanese forces are ready to enter and control the pilot areas. Israel should keep the sequencing strict: no redeployment can become a gift to Iran's proxy before Hezbollah is demonstrably kept out.