U.S. Team Advances Israel-Lebanon Pilot Zones

A U.S. military delegation moved the Israel-Lebanon framework into its implementation phase, with Lebanese reporting saying the team would meet army commander Rodolphe Haykal to discuss pilot-zone procedures in the south. The U.S.-brokered plan ties any phased IDF pullback from cleared areas to Lebanese Armed Forces deployment and verified Hezbollah disarmament. Reports say CENTCOM is coordinating with both governments before next week's Rome talks, while Beirut wants a timetable and Israel insists it will keep a security zone as long as Hezbollah remains armed. For Israel, the test is practical control: no withdrawal can leave a vacuum for Hezbollah or Iran.