‘Pilot Zones’ Pitting Beirut Government Against Hezbollah Launched in South Lebanon

Israel ceded security control over three southern Lebanese towns on July 21 in a test of the Beirut government’s ability to keep out the Hezbollah terrorists who were operating in the area. The institution of the so-called “pilot zones,” devised by the United States, came as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun secured a rare White House visit. But for all the pageantry and the promotion of peace, there is no substitute for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) proving its mettle against the Iran-backed terrorist group — no matter how long that takes. A Testing Ground for the LAF Following the IDF pullback, LAF troops rolled into Zawtar Al-Gharbiya, a town on the northern cusp of Israel’s buffer zone. The LAF similarly deployed in Froun and Srifa, towns outside the zone that were also designated as “pilot zones” during several rounds of US-hosted negotiations between the Lebanese and Israeli governments. Together, the towns constitute proving grounds for LAF security enforcement.Though the IDF fired warning shots when Lebanese soldiers strayed past a pilot-zone boundary, the handovers were held up by Beirut as the successful rollout of a process designed to culminate in a total Israeli pullout. Israel insists that the complete imposition of Beirut’s sovereign authority and a full dismantling of Hezbollah in the south must come before any final Israeli withdrawal. Aoun Presses Trump for Further Israeli Withdrawals Aoun’s White House visit was the first by a Lebanese president in 17 years, highlighting the trust President Trump has placed in him to advance the landmark Lebanese-Israeli detente.Although Aoun pressed Trump for more sweeping Israeli withdrawals, the U.S. president played this down, using Jerusalem’s preferred term of “redeployment” for the current troop movements. Trump, whose administration broke with decades of U.S. convention by engaging directly with Hamas for a Gaza ceasefire, voiced openness to speaking to Hezbollah as well.“There is the problem of Hezbollah. I am ready to talk to Hezbollah, I am ready to talk to everyone. If President Aoun wants me to speak to them, I will do so,” Trump said. IDF Has Shouldered Greatest Risk The southern Lebanon pilot zones are a triumph of creative statesmanship, not least that of the Trump administration. Even so, a greater sense of proportion is in order. It is the IDF, at great expense and risk, which cleared Hezbollah terrorists and their facilities out of these three towns. The LAF, which for decades failed to deliver on its pledges to impose Beirut’s authority, is merely being asked to carry out mopping-up operations and prevent Hezbollah from returning. Scores more towns and villages south of the Litani River remain to be handed over and judged for the effectiveness of LAF enforcement there. That will take months or years. Until then, Israel is fully entitled to maintain its buffer zone as the most concrete means of fending off the Hezbollah threat. Aoun wants to put the cart before the horse, so as to avoid difficult and long-delayed confrontations with his fanatical, Iran-backed countrymen. This explains why he is pushing for Israel to quit Lebanese soil entirely, attempting to sell Trump on the idea that, once this occurs, Hezbollah will somehow be mollified into a consensual disarmament. It would be unwise of Trump to buy into this inverted logic. If he does indeed speak to Hezbollah, the only topic should be the timetable for its capitulation. For his part, Aoun should be cautious about elevating his most lethal domestic rival to the status of an interlocutor with the American president. Mark Dubowitz is the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Mark and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD. Follow Mark on X @mdubowitz. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.