Former US official assesses low viability of Lebanon pilot zones

Israeli forces are conducting ongoing artillery and airstrikes in southern Lebanon, specifically targeting areas between Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Mayfadoun, despite a recent ceasefire memorandum. Concurrently, the IDF has initiated a pilot program to transfer control of some southern Lebanese villages to the Lebanese Armed Forces while reinforcing positions near the Litani River, indicating a complex strategy of localized stabilization alongside continued kinetic operations against Hezbollah infrastructure. The Lebanese leadership has outlined conditions for Hezbollah's disarmament, contingent on a full Israeli withdrawal and state military control, though the feasibility of these conditions remains uncertain given Hezbollah's autonomy.