Lebanon Presses Israel on Withdrawal as Trump Meets Netanyahu

U.S. President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s recent visit to the White House. The talks focused on Israel’s continued presence in southern Lebanon and southern Syria, which Netanyahu says he will not withdraw.

Lebanon is looking to the United States to pressure Israel to end daily attacks and to pull its forces out of the so‑called “experimental zone” in the south. A second round of U.S.-mediated negotiations is scheduled for August 4‑6 in Rome, aiming to expand the withdrawal zones and solidify commitments made in the first round.

U.S. officials have signaled that they will not abandon efforts toward a comprehensive Lebanon‑Israel agreement, while Israel maintains its stance against the pull‑out, citing security concerns. Lebanese authorities continue to secure displaced residents and restore infrastructure amid ongoing shelling.