Lebanese president, army chief discuss troop role after Israel deal

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held talks with Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal on Tuesday regarding the military's upcoming responsibilities under a US-brokered framework agreement with Israel, as Beirut moves to extend state authority over territories occupied by Israeli forces.

Framework Agreement Terms

The meeting at the presidential palace focused on the army's mission to secure southern Lebanon following the agreement signed last Friday, which provides for what officials called "a phased" Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory beginning with two "pilot areas." Haykal briefed Aoun on recent visits to Türkiye and the United Kingdom focused on military cooperation, according to a presidency statement.

The framework deal does not establish a fixed timetable for the pullout, instead linking the withdrawal to the Lebanese army assuming full security responsibility and the disarmament of armed groups, with specific reference to Hezbollah. Lebanese officials have described the pact as "a first step" toward restoring full state sovereignty over territories occupied by Israeli forces for decades or seized during the 2023-2024 war.

Hezbollah Rejects Deal

Hezbollah has rejected the agreement as "humiliating" and "null and void," arguing that linking Israeli withdrawal to its disarmament crosses "red lines" and violates previous understandings. The group maintains that conditioning the pullout on weapons removal undermines Lebanese national interests and compromises the country's ability to resist occupation.

Aoun Defends Military

Aoun praised the army's leadership and personnel for extending state authority and maintaining stability, stating that "campaigns of doubt and defamation" targeting the military institution and its leadership "will not affect its national performance, which remains committed to the decisions of the political authorities, nor will they undermine the confidence of officials and the Lebanese people in the army." He emphasized that the military remains bound by political authority decisions despite ongoing criticism.

Since March 2, Israeli military operations in Lebanon have killed 4,257 people and wounded 12,196 others while displacing more than one million residents, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israeli forces continue to occupy areas in southern Lebanon — some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war — while maintaining a ground presence extending more than 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory.