CENTCOM chief in Lebanon as Israel prepares partial withdrawal steps
WASHINGTON — The top US military commander overseeing American forces in the Middle East met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Beirut on Monday as Israeli troops are expected to withdraw from two locations in south Lebanon.
The planned move is part of a phased territorial handover process pushed by the Trump administration and agreed upon by Israeli and Lebanese diplomats during marathon negotiations held in Washington last week. Lebanese military forces are expected to push into the two areas in the country’s Nabatieh governorate following the Israeli withdrawal.
During an ongoing trip to the Middle East, Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, engaged senior civilian and military leaders in Israel and Lebanon. While in Lebanon, Cooper and his staff met with President Joseph Aoun and Lebanese Armed Forces Commanding General Rodolphe Haykal.… pic.twitter.com/9KRSJyNJIR
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 29, 2026
Israel re-invaded southern Lebanon in March, displacing roughly one-fifth of the country’s population as it sought to uproot Hezbollah and halt rocket and drone attacks along its northern border.
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper and US Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, tasked with monitoring the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire and implementation of the handover process, met Aoun at Baabda Palace on Monday. The delegation discussed “preparations related to the start of implementation” of last week’s agreement, Aoun’s office said in a statement.
Aoun “reaffirmed the Lebanese state’s determination to extend its authority through its armed forces all the way to its national southern borders,” it read.
Earlier on Monday, Cooper sat down with Lebanon’s top general, Rodolphe Haykal, to discuss the planned moves. Under Clearfield’s direction, the US military is expected to assist the Lebanese military with intelligence and tactical advising as it moves into areas previously occupied by Israeli forces and works to prevent Hezbollah insurgents from returning or rearming.
Last week’s framework agreement was touted by Trump administration officials but sparked controversy within Lebanon for having fallen far short of Beirut’s demands. Announcing the agreement after its signing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no indication that his country’s forces were ready to withdraw from areas within its self-designated Yellow Line stretching across the south roughly 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that his side would not withdraw troops from the so-called pilot zones in Lebanon until Hezbollah is fully disarmed, Haaretz reported.
