A first 'pilot zone' in Lebanon to be launched in coming days, according to a US official

The first "pilot zone" in Lebanon, where the Lebanese Army will take control of an area currently occupied by Israeli forces, will be launched "in a few days," while other zones are being identified and planned, a U.S. official said Thursday.

According to L'Orient Today's information, Beirut has demanded that Israel withdraw from two "pilot zones" in the south of the country before taking part in the next round of talks with Tel Aviv scheduled for July 15 and 16 in Rome.

Froun (Bint Jbeil) and Zawtar Gharbieh (Nabatieh) were initially identified by Israeli media as the first localities affected by the gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon, as part of the framework agreement reached between Beirut and Tel Aviv under U.S. auspices on June 26.

According to the agreement's security annex, the Lebanese Army is expected to gradually replace Israeli forces in these "pilot zones" and work toward the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Security sources cited two weeks ago by Israeli channel 11 indicated that the start of the withdrawal from the two zones had been postponed until an arrangement is reached on a "joint monitoring mechanism" for the Lebanese and Israeli armies.