US Marine General Visits Israel to Plan IDF Withdrawal from Lebanon

Joseph Clearfield, the US Marine Corps commander responsible for the pilot Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, visited Israel this week to advance planning efforts. His team is expected to arrive soon to finalize arrangements for the two territorial sectors from which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw. Implementation of the handover to Lebanon is estimated to take between one and three weeks.

The IDF has developed proposals regarding the two withdrawal zones, which have been submitted to Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Zamir is anticipated to present these plans to the Israeli Security Cabinet for approval. Earlier reports indicated efforts to establish a joint monitoring mechanism between the Lebanese Army and the IDF to enforce the ceasefire. This mechanism would be part of a confidential security annex in the bilateral agreement.

Sources familiar with the matter explained that the new coordination mechanism aims to enhance cooperation between Israel and Lebanon, likely operating through a virtual command center. The United States will continue to be involved in setting up this coordination cell, which will focus on orchestrating Hezbollah's disarmament rather than merely investigating ceasefire violations. Washington is expected to vet participants to prevent Hezbollah from accessing sensitive information, a factor that contributed to the failure of a similar mechanism established in 2024.

In related news, an IDF soldier was seriously injured during operational activity in southern Lebanon. The ongoing developments mark a significant step in the complex security arrangements between Israel, Lebanon, and the United States.