US seeks to coordinate handover of Israeli-controlled territory in southern Lebanon

The background to the initiative is an agreement that provides for Lebanon to assume responsibility for the zones only "nach einer erfolgreichen Entwaffnung nicht staatlicher Gruppen." This effectively refers to Hezbollah, which has so far rejected any negotiation on disarmament. The agreement was previously reached between Israel and Lebanon with US mediation; details of the signing have not been made public.

Israel's conditions and Hezbollah's position

The Israeli army has announced it intends to remain in a ten-kilometer-wide "security zone" in southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah is not disarmed. According to geographical calculations by Lebanese media, the Israeli-controlled area in southern Lebanon covers approximately 620 square kilometers. Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, stated that the area is "frei von Bewohnern sowie von terroristischer Infrastruktur unter und über der Erde."

Both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government describe the unilaterally imposed "security zone" by Israel as a violation of international law amounting to occupation. Beirut demands a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and points to the ceasefire agreement of November 2024. The US mission is now intended to clarify how an orderly transition could proceed organizationally and in terms of security policy.

Toll of violence and humanitarian situation

Meanwhile, violence in the region continues. Since the beginning of March, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed 4,320 people and injured 12,203, according to Lebanese authorities. In the same period, the Israeli army reported 40 of its own dead, including 36 soldiers and four civilians. Katz also stated that Hezbollah had attacked Israel twice – following the Islamist Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and after the start of the Iran war on the 28th.

The planned pilot zone is linked to hopes for de-escalation, but this hinges on the question of Hezbollah's armament. Should the Shiite militia continue to refuse to surrender its weapons, the Israeli presence in the area is expected to remain. The US delegation will therefore have to perform not only logistical but also political mediation work to enable a viable transitional arrangement between Beirut and Jerusalem.

Outlook on the US mission

Observers in Beirut see the move as a signal that Washington wants to hold Lebanon more accountable. At the same time, concerns are growing about a further deepening of the conflict if disarmament negotiations fail. The coming days are considered decisive for whether and to what extent the US military delegation will actually be able to begin its work in Beirut.

International mediators have repeatedly stressed in recent weeks that stabilization in southern Lebanon can only succeed if the humanitarian situation of the population is improved in parallel with a political solution. Hundreds of thousands of residents of the region have been displaced since the start of hostilities. According to aid organizations, a return is only possible once a permanent ceasefire is in effect.