Israel has begun its withdrawal from southern Lebanon, President Trump said Tuesday, touting the US-backed security framework that prompted the move and insisting Lebanon now has a chance to finally break free from Hezbollah’s grip.
Trump, speaking alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office, said Israeli forces are “in the process of withdrawing” under an agreement brokered with Washington’s backing — while emphasizing the next phase depends on Lebanon securing territory once controlled by the Iran-backed terror group.
“There’s a Hezbollah problem, but we’ve done some things that I think the world will take notice,” Trump said.
The president added that Lebanon has “been a very badly treated place and country” but vowed, “We’re going to have it properly treated and treated with the respect that it deserves.”
Iran has attempted to control Lebanon, interfering with the country’s affairs through its Hezbollah proxy group — which the security framework aims to address by removing the terrorists and strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Under the agreement, Israel will be allowed to remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah can be fully removed.
Aoun — who on Tuesday became the first Lebanese president to visit the White House in 17 years — hailed the recent signing of the US-facilitated framework agreement with Israel, calling it a historic step toward ending decades of conflict.
“I would like to thank President Trump … for the historic achievement that we did together by signing the framework with the ultimate objective of ending the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel forever,” Aoun said.
“This will be your legacy.”
Trump agreed, saying, “We’re going to make it work.”
The development came a day after the US State Department announced Israel would begin pulling troops from parts of southern Lebanon this week after months of negotiations aimed at replacing Israeli positions with the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The withdrawal is occurring in phases through a series of so-called “pilot zones” — limited sectors where Israeli troops leave and the Lebanese Armed Forces immediately move in to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing a presence, US and Israeli officials have said.
The first pilot zone was tested earlier this month around Naqoura, near the Mediterranean coast, with additional sectors expected to follow if the arrangement holds.
In interviews with The Post, US and Israeli officials have described the pilot-zone approach as a way to see whether Lebanon’s military can secure territory without Hezbollah filling the vacuum — avoiding a repeat of previous cease-fire failures.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Aoun pressed Trump for continued American backing of the Lebanese military.
“I need two things from you: political support and supporting the LAF,” Aoun said, calling the Lebanese Armed Forces “the backbone of security and stability.
“We don’t want” the collapse of Lebanon’s military, he added, warning that his country’s 1975 civil war began when state institutions fell apart and militias filled the void.
“I fully trust the LAF. I fully trust the leadership of the LAF,” Aoun added.
Trump praised Aoun and suggested Lebanon has an opportunity to turn the page after years of conflict fueled by Hezbollah and Iran.
“I understood Lebanon, and I understood how horribly Lebanon has been treated as a country,” Trump said. “They’ve been like a whipping post.”
The president also hinted that additional diplomatic breakthroughs could be coming, saying Lebanon has “a very important place” as his administration works to expand the Abraham Accords across the Middle East.
“We are going to solve a lot of problems,” Trump said. “We’ve already solved some of them for Lebanon.”
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