UNIPA News(Lebanon) 22 June-Israeli and Lebanese negotiators are expected to identify “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon where security responsibilities could be transferred to the Lebanese Armed Forces during US-mediated talks scheduled in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, according to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Citing an unnamed Israeli source, the newspaper reported that the Israeli military may partially withdraw from areas along the so-called Yellow Line, an unofficial boundary established by Israel approximately eight kilometers inside Lebanese territory along the border.

Under the proposed arrangement, Israeli and Lebanese officials would determine which areas would be handed over to the Lebanese army. The source said Lebanese forces would operate under close US supervision and assume responsibility for zones not currently controlled by the Israeli military.

The upcoming meeting follows several rounds of US-sponsored negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv aimed at reducing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials have repeatedly stated that Israeli forces will not fully withdraw from territories occupied in southern Lebanon.

The diplomatic efforts come amid an escalation in hostilities. The Israeli military conducted more than 200 strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Friday and Saturday, saying the operations targeted Hezbollah positions.

However, Anadolu Agency correspondents reported that several strikes hit residential areas and civilian infrastructure.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the attacks killed 105 people and injured more than 150 others over the two-day period.

Official Lebanese figures indicate that Israeli military operations since March 2 have killed more than 4,100 people and injured over 12,000 others.

Israel continues to maintain a military presence in parts of southern Lebanon, including areas it has occupied for decades and territories seized during the 2023-2024 conflict.