Trump to Host Joseph Aoun at the White House as Israel Begins Partial Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will be received at the White House on Tuesday by his US counterpart, Donald Trump, as Israel begins a partial withdrawal of its troops from southern Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.

Aoun’s trip to Washington marks a significant moment, as no Lebanese president has visited the White House since 2009.

The meeting follows the ceasefire reached between Israel and Lebanon, an agreement aimed at ending the clashes in the south of the country and gradually transferring control of the affected areas to the Lebanese army.

In the first phase of its implementation, the agreement provides for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from several areas near the so-called “Yellow Line,” the boundary defining the territories where Israeli troops had been stationed.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that authority over three villages in southern Lebanon had been handed over to the Lebanese army.

Trump has also asked Aoun to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing it as a historic opportunity.

The Lebanese president, however, has not agreed to such a meeting unless a broader withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon takes place first.

Despite the start of the partial withdrawal, an Israeli military official said the army would continue operations in the area to “eliminate threats.”