Lebanese premier pushes timeline for Israeli pullout as Hezbollah decries deal

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam convened with U.S. envoy Michel Issa and General Joseph Clearfield to demand a definitive schedule for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese land and an expansion of pilot zones, urging an end to destructive operations. In a parallel meeting, Parliament speaker Nabih Berri highlighted continued village demolitions, farmland bulldozing, forest fires and damage to heritage sites, insisting that stability requires Israel to cease hostilities and retreat to the international border.

Hezbollah’s leader Naim Qassem attacked the government’s stance, accusing officials of exposing the Lebanese army to humiliation and Israeli pressure by pursuing a non-functional agreement. He pointed to ongoing Israeli attacks on homes and tunnels in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, the first pilot zone, despite the army’s presence. U.S. ambassador Issa called the discussions positive and said negotiations would proceed, without setting a date for the next session. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz maintained that any Israeli pullout is contingent on Hezbollah’s disarmament, as Israeli forces continue to occupy multiple towns in southern Lebanon.