Lebanon's President Aoun travels to Washington for talks with Trump

US mediation

The United States is mediating the direct political talks between the Lebanese and Israeli governments, which have been ongoing since mid-April – they are the first direct political talks between the two states in decades. Hezbollah is not participating in the talks. The government in Beirut says it is not a party to the war, and there are no official diplomatic relations between Israel and Lebanon.

Specifically, the current focus is on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from two areas in southern Lebanon, where the regular Lebanese army is to take control. According to Lebanese figures, Israel currently controls around 620 square kilometers in the south of the country. According to the Israeli leadership, the zone is intended to better protect the population in northern Israel from Hezbollah attacks.

Security zone as a point of contention

Both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government describe a unilaterally imposed Israeli "security zone" as illegal occupation under international law. Despite the existing ceasefire, fighting continues in southern Lebanon.

At earlier talks in Rome, Lebanese government circles had said on Wednesday that "visible progress" had been made. When exactly the meeting with Trump will take place was initially left open when the visit was announced – July 21 had previously been mentioned as a possible date.

Political context

The Lebanese government hopes the visit to Washington will provide impetus on the stalled issues of troop withdrawal and implementation of the ceasefire. The US mediator role is considered crucial, as neither Lebanon nor Israel maintains direct diplomatic channels.

Aoun's trip comes at a politically sensitive phase: In Lebanon, there is debate about the role of Hezbollah after the end of open hostilities, while at the same time the government is under domestic political pressure to restore sovereignty over its own national territory. International focus on southern Lebanon remains high as long as Israeli troops are present there.