CENTCOM chief in Lebanon as Israel prepares partial withdrawal steps
The Lebanese military is expected to move into Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdraw.
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.
