Equation of Southern Lebanon: Trump Draws "Red Line" for Netanyahu Ahead of Florida Meeting

jordan pulse : The Trump administration has informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of its rejection of any military escalation that breaks the existing balance in Southern Lebanon, specifically opposing any bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs (Dahiyeh), according to U.S. diplomatic sources. The position aims to preserve the track of Washington-sponsored negotiations between Tel Aviv and Beirut.
U.S. diplomatic sources told Erem News that Washington is working to reach enforceable understandings to be negotiated between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations in Florida on October 20. These talks focus on establishing a mutually agreed-upon verification mechanism for the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm Hezbollah in areas vacated by the Israeli military.
This development comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio opened direct lines of communication with Beirut and Tel Aviv. Rubio held a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who requested U.S. pressure on Israel to halt aggression in the south and adhere to the framework agreement, before contacting the Israeli Prime Minister.
A U.S. diplomat familiar with the negotiation file stated that Washington's recent communications with Tel Aviv and Beirut are part of efforts to find a mutually acceptable mechanism to verify Hezbollah's disarmament. This would allow Israel to advance steps regarding 'pilot zones' for withdrawing from southern villages, where the Lebanese Army would subsequently deploy, amid Tel Aviv's insistence on directly monitoring the dismantling of the militia's military infrastructure.
The U.S. diplomat added that Washington is striving to prevent the southern front from turning into a wider confrontation and to ensure both parties attend the upcoming military meeting in Florida. Beirut has expressed no objection to giving the mechanism committee a major role in the verification process, while also welcoming the European Union mission for supporting Lebanon to participate in the same effort.
Military delegations from Lebanon and Israel are expected to meet in Florida to discuss restarting negotiations, following the disruption of political talks caused by the postponement of the eighth round of the Rome meetings last month.
Soraya Shaheen, a researcher in Lebanese-American relations, stated that the security zone established by Israel in Southern Lebanon currently offers nothing new to present at the military talks in Florida, despite U.S. pressure on Tel Aviv to engage constructively with Lebanese proposals.
Shaheen noted that the military negotiations scheduled to take place at USCENTCOM headquarters remain unconfirmed, although the Americans are working to convene them following the incomplete eighth round in Rome.
The coming hours will bring new details regarding whether this round of military negotiations will proceed in Florida. Lebanese diplomatic indicators suggest it may be preferable for Beirut not to hold this round if Israel maintains its hardline stance, particularly given that Israel faces Knesset elections a week after the meeting.
According to Shaheen, Beirut does not expect Israel at this stage to offer appropriate steps or engage positively with Lebanese security proposals, which formed a key axis of the recent call between the Lebanese President and the U.S. Secretary of State.
She added that Rubio's communications with Aoun and Netanyahu aimed to space for constructive negotiations and prevent Hezbollah from retaining its weapons or posing a greater security threat in the south.
From the negotiations, Lebanon seeks to consolidate the ceasefire, halt Israeli bulldozing and demolition, and continue defining model zones for full Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory, especially after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz recently acknowledged that his country controls 700 square kilometers of Lebanese territory north of the border.
Shaheen concluded that Hezbollah's continued transport and smuggling of explosives from abroad causes severe embarrassment for the Lebanese state during negotiations, emphasizing that such practices will not yield any desired result toward implementing the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
For his part, Dr. Nizar Nazzal, an expert in Israeli affairs, stated that there is American and Israeli concern over Hezbollah potentially joining and providing support to Iran in any upcoming confrontation.
Nazzal noted that the communications involving Aoun, Rubio, and Netanyahu coincided with warnings issued by Katz to Hezbollah against joining any future clash.
He added that Katz's warnings carry messages that conflict is an inevitability amid stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran, reflecting serious preparations by the United States and Israel for a potential strike on Iran following a lull in mediation efforts and a state of frozen 'no peace, no war'.
Nazzal explained that Netanyahu seeks to conduct targeted assassination strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah leadership, while Trump has yet to settle on the timing of a military action against Iran, whether before or after the U.S. midterm elections.
Through these moves, Netanyahu aims to prompt a response from Hezbollah to potential targeted strikes, using any retaliation against northern Israel as a pretext for a focused military campaign in Lebanon without getting bogged down in a full-scale regional conflict ahead of elections.
Source: Rum News Agency

The Trump administration has informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of its rejection of any military escalation that breaks the existing balance in Southern Lebanon, specifically opposing any bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs (Dahiyeh), according to U.S. diplomatic sources. The position aims to preserve the track of Washington-sponsored negotiations between Tel Aviv and Beirut.
U.S. diplomatic sources told Erem News that Washington is working to reach enforceable understandings to be negotiated between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations in Florida on October 20. These talks focus on establishing a mutually agreed-upon verification mechanism for the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm Hezbollah in areas vacated by the Israeli military.
This development comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio opened direct lines of communication with Beirut and Tel Aviv. Rubio held a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who requested U.S. pressure on Israel to halt aggression in the south and adhere to the framework agreement, before contacting the Israeli Prime Minister.
A U.S. diplomat familiar with the negotiation file stated that Washington's recent communications with Tel Aviv and Beirut are part of efforts to find a mutually acceptable mechanism to verify Hezbollah's disarmament. This would allow Israel to advance steps regarding 'pilot zones' for withdrawing from southern villages, where the Lebanese Army would subsequently deploy, amid Tel Aviv's insistence on directly monitoring the dismantling of the militia's military infrastructure.
The U.S. diplomat added that Washington is striving to prevent the southern front from turning into a wider confrontation and to ensure both parties attend the upcoming military meeting in Florida. Beirut has expressed no objection to giving the mechanism committee a major role in the verification process, while also welcoming the European Union mission for supporting Lebanon to participate in the same effort.
Military delegations from Lebanon and Israel are expected to meet in Florida to discuss restarting negotiations, following the disruption of political talks caused by the postponement of the eighth round of the Rome meetings last month.
Soraya Shaheen, a researcher in Lebanese-American relations, stated that the security zone established by Israel in Southern Lebanon currently offers nothing new to present at the military talks in Florida, despite U.S. pressure on Tel Aviv to engage constructively with Lebanese proposals.
Shaheen noted that the military negotiations scheduled to take place at USCENTCOM headquarters remain unconfirmed, although the Americans are working to convene them following the incomplete eighth round in Rome.
The coming hours will bring new details regarding whether this round of military negotiations will proceed in Florida. Lebanese diplomatic indicators suggest it may be preferable for Beirut not to hold this round if Israel maintains its hardline stance, particularly given that Israel faces Knesset elections a week after the meeting.
According to Shaheen, Beirut does not expect Israel at this stage to offer appropriate steps or engage positively with Lebanese security proposals, which formed a key axis of the recent call between the Lebanese President and the U.S. Secretary of State.
She added that Rubio's communications with Aoun and Netanyahu aimed to space for constructive negotiations and prevent Hezbollah from retaining its weapons or posing a greater security threat in the south.
From the negotiations, Lebanon seeks to consolidate the ceasefire, halt Israeli bulldozing and demolition, and continue defining model zones for full Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory, especially after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz recently acknowledged that his country controls 700 square kilometers of Lebanese territory north of the border.
Shaheen concluded that Hezbollah's continued transport and smuggling of explosives from abroad causes severe embarrassment for the Lebanese state during negotiations, emphasizing that such practices will not yield any desired result toward implementing the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
For his part, Dr. Nizar Nazzal, an expert in Israeli affairs, stated that there is American and Israeli concern over Hezbollah potentially joining and providing support to Iran in any upcoming confrontation.
Nazzal noted that the communications involving Aoun, Rubio, and Netanyahu coincided with warnings issued by Katz to Hezbollah against joining any future clash.
He added that Katz's warnings carry messages that conflict is an inevitability amid stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran, reflecting serious preparations by the United States and Israel for a potential strike on Iran following a lull in mediation efforts and a state of frozen 'no peace, no war'.
Nazzal explained that Netanyahu seeks to conduct targeted assassination strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah leadership, while Trump has yet to settle on the timing of a military action against Iran, whether before or after the U.S. midterm elections.
Through these moves, Netanyahu aims to prompt a response from Hezbollah to potential targeted strikes, using any retaliation against northern Israel as a pretext for a focused military campaign in Lebanon without getting bogged down in a full-scale regional conflict ahead of elections.
Source: Rum News Agency