{"url":"https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1503434/ahead-of-first-meeting-in-washington-israel-raises-stakes-a-three-zone-division-of-lebanon.html","title":"Israël hausse les enjeux avec division en trois zones du Liban.","domain":"today.lorientlejour.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/5522695/pexels-photo-5522695.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"Lebanon Israel border","category":"World","language":"en","slug":"a8389e13","id":"a8389e13-76cb-4dc4-8fec-ec764d559c3b","description":"Israel reportedly plans to propose dividing southern Lebanon into three zones with varying military restrictions ahead of direct talks.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Israel reportedly plans to propose dividing southern Lebanon into three zones with varying military restrictions ahead of direct talks.\n- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem urged Lebanon to cancel the Tuesday Washington meeting between ambassadors, citing imposed international pressures.\n- The proposal aims for long-term Israeli presence until Hezbollah dismantlement, risking deeper crisis amid ongoing war.\n\n## The story at a glance\nIsrael has raised demands for a three-zone division of southern Lebanon, according to the article, as Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors prepare for their first direct talks in Washington on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Beirut time. Key figures include Hezbollah's Naim Qassem, who rejected the negotiations, and unnamed Israeli officials pushing the plan. This comes amid continued Israeli operations in southern Lebanon and U.S. efforts to delink Lebanese issues from Iran. The Lebanese government seeks a truce first, while Israel rules out ceasefire talks with Hezbollah.[[1]](https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1503434/ahead-of-first-meeting-in-washington-israel-raises-stakes-a-three-zone-division-of-lebanon.html)[[2]](https://www.trtworld.com/article/51d5aacc3ade/amp)\n\n## Key points\n- Preparatory meeting in Washington launches direct Beirut-Tel Aviv negotiations, hosted with U.S. involvement including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.\n- Hezbollah's Naim Qassem called for canceling talks, warning of internal crisis from U.S.-Israeli pressures; supporters protested in Beirut.\n- Israel plans to present a proposal dividing southern Lebanon into three zones: intensive presence near border (7-8 km to \"yellow line\"), restricted Lebanese army further, and conditional withdrawal tied to Hezbollah dismantlement.[[2]](https://www.trtworld.com/article/51d5aacc3ade/amp)\n- Netanyahu conditions talks on Hezbollah disarmament and a lasting peace accord; no ceasefire while Hezbollah attacks continue.\n- Over 2,000 killed in Israeli strikes, 1 million displaced; Israeli forces advance toward Litani River for buffer zone.\n- Iran links Lebanese file to its own, but Washington and Israel seek separation; Lebanese President Joseph Aoun favors diplomacy over destruction.\n\n## Details and context\nThe talks mark the first direct contact since 1993, brokered by Washington to secure Israel's north and Lebanon's sovereignty from Hezbollah. Israel's invasion since March 2026 has created a de facto buffer up to 20 km deep, with plans for long-term hold modeled on past security arrangements but details sparse beyond Israeli media reports.[[3]](https://www.instagram.com/p/DM7Lx84NVR4)\n\nHezbollah remains active despite losses, firing rockets into Israel; critics see talks as leverage-free concession. Lebanon proposes immediate halt to hostilities as precondition, echoing past indirect U.S.-French-UN mediation.\n\nOngoing strikes target Bint Jbeil and other south sites; Netanyahu visited occupied areas, vowing continued war. Casualties and displacement strain Lebanon, with 80% of south markets non-functional per UN data.\n\n## Key quotes\n\"Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem called on the Lebanese state to cancel the talks, arguing that the international trajectories being imposed on Lebanon, particularly by the United States and Israel, would lead to an internal crisis.\"[[1]](https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1503434/ahead-of-first-meeting-in-washington-israel-raises-stakes-a-three-zone-division-of-lebanon.html)\n\n\"Israël’s destruction of Lebanese territories is not the solution... Diplomatic solutions have consistently proven the most effective,\" Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.[[3]](https://www.instagram.com/p/DM7Lx84NVR4)\n\n## Why it matters\nThe stakes involve potential reoccupation of southern Lebanon, escalating regional war with Iran proxies and testing U.S. mediation amid fragile ceasefires. For Lebanese civilians and government, it means prolonged displacement and sovereignty loss; for Israelis near border, possible security gains but risk of endless conflict; businesses face disrupted trade. Watch if zones gain traction in talks or collapse under Hezbollah resistance and strikes—agreement unlikely soon.[[3]](https://www.instagram.com/p/DM7Lx84NVR4)","hashtags":["#lebanon","#israel","#hezbollah","#diplomacy","#middleeast","#war"],"sources":[{"url":"https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1503434/ahead-of-first-meeting-in-washington-israel-raises-stakes-a-three-zone-division-of-lebanon.html","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.trtworld.com/article/51d5aacc3ade/amp","title":""},{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/DM7Lx84NVR4","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-14T11:47:45.295Z","createdAt":"2026-04-14T11:47:45.295Z","articlePublishedAt":"2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z"}