Lebanon's president will meet with Trump in Washington to push for
Israeli troop withdrawal
[July 21, 2026]
By KAREEM CHEHAYEB
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's president will meet with U.S. President Donald
Trump on Tuesday to wrap up a four-day visit to Washington, in a bid to
bring about long-term calm in the war-torn country after months of war
between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
Joseph Aoun's landmark meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel
continue to hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. Lebanon hopes
they will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of
southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and for the Lebanese
military to receive support to assert full control in areas where
Hezbollah militants had held sway.
Lebanon and Israel announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, setting
a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon as well as
the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in
the area. It also lays out steps toward an eventual peace agreement
between both countries, which have never held formal diplomatic ties and
have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel’s
establishment.
The U.S. State Department announced Monday that operations in three
villages deemed part of a “pilot zone” had begun, without giving details
on what that entailed. Two of the three villages, Froun and Srifa, are
not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present
there, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh.
The Lebanese army in a statement said it was preparing for Israel to
withdraw from Zawtar al-Gharbieh and that it had begun deploying troops
to the area Tuesday. The Israeli military said it “will adjust its force
posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed
Forces to carry out their mission,” without specifying the location.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in
accordance with military guidelines said Tuesday that the withdrawal had
not yet begun.
Village mayor waiting for safety to be confirmed
Abed Ezzeldine, Mayor of Zawtar al-Gharbieh said that they are waiting
for the Lebanese military to tell him whether its safe for residents to
check on their homes after they fully deploy and patrol the area. He is
concerned about the safety of his village given that the Israeli
military is still present in another village next door, while Israeli
strikes continue nearby.
“The villages are intertwined, so we don’t feel safe because the
Israelis are present there, they’re on our borders and are not very far
from us,” Ezzeldine told The Associated Press, who said Zawtar al-Gharbieh
is uninhabitable.
“Once the army gives us permission to enter Zawtar al-Gharbieh, we as
civilians will go in, but only to check it out and see how things are
and then we will leave,” he said. "We can’t stay because the
infrastructure is completely damaged and houses have been leveled. They
(the Israelis) have bulldozed the roads.”
Rubio says US will continue to support framework agreement
Aoun met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, who said
Washington will continue to endorse the Lebanese agreement and support
the agreement's full implementation. Rubio described the meeting as
“very positive” and warned that Lebanon will “never be fully at peace”
as long as the Hezbollah issue is not resolved.
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A Lebanese army soldier stands at a checkpoint in Froun village,
southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed
Zaatari)
“How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a
government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the
country,” Rubio said after the meeting. Skeptics in Lebanon fear
that a military confrontation with Hezbollah could lead to a civil
war, as government officials have also urged for investment into the
country's battered infrastructure to empower the weakened state,
which Rubio echoed.
“This is not just about military stuff," he added. "This is about
how can we attract more U.S. and international investment into
Lebanon.”
The Lebanese military last week increased its presence in some of
the areas expected to be included in the pilot zone, including the
three villages, with troops patrolling and setting up checkpoints.
Though recent talks in Rome have signaled that the agreement’s
implementation will begin soon, Israeli troops have not withdrawn
from the areas under control.
Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said they plan to keep forces
long term in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has dismissed the direct talks brokered by the United
States and instead backed Washington’s talks with their key ally and
patron Iran to end their war, which also includes ending the war in
Lebanon as a condition to bring back calm.
Lebanon’s government came to power on a reformist platform in early
2025, vowing to disarm all non-state groups including Hezbollah. It
blames Hezbollah for dragging the country into another war with
Israel in March when the militant group fired several rockets toward
northern Israel after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
Beirut's leadership, however, has condemned Israel’s subsequent
ground invasion and massive aerial campaign in the country, which
killed over 4,000 people and displaced 1.2 million others. While
grappling with stark political opposition from Hezbollah and allies
within the deeply divided country, Lebanon's leadership insists that
Israeli withdrawal and international financial support for Lebanon’s
cash-strapped army is crucial for a sustainable security solution.
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Associated Press writer Giovanna Dell'Orto in Jerusalem contributed.
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