A day before U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper is due to land in Israel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly endorsed a plan that has already been reported in recent days as part of Israel-Lebanon talks. According to Walla, Cooper is expected to arrive on Thursday and meet IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz, with Iran, developments in Lebanon, and continued security coordination between Jerusalem and Washington all likely to be on the agenda.
Rubio said one of the central ideas under discussion is a “pilot zones” arrangement in southern Lebanon. Under that model, the Lebanese army would take responsibility for designated areas, secure them, and then move on to the next pilot area, while proving it can prevent Hezbollah activity there. He described the concept as creating “defined and specific areas” where the Lebanese army can enter, gain control, and secure the territory before expanding to the next zone.
This is the first official U.S. confirmation of the framework, which has already been published and is viewed as one of the main options being examined in efforts to reach a new arrangement in southern Lebanon. Rubio linked the plan directly to reducing Israel’s military presence, saying Hezbollah fires rockets and drones from Lebanon, and that the hope is for the Lebanese army and the “legitimate and sovereign” Lebanese government to expand control over more of their territory.
Rubio added that Israel has made clear it has no conflict with the Lebanese people and no claim to Lebanese land. In his words, the more the Lebanese army can secure, “the less Israel will be present in Lebanon.” He said the process will take time and is intended to help produce a Lebanon under its own government, without a foreign force occupying its territory. “The only reason Israel is in Lebanon is that Hezbollah is firing at its citizens. If not, they would not be there,” he said.
