Aoun and US general discuss preparations for implementing deal with Israel

President Joseph Aoun on Monday met with U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper at the Baabda Palace, in the presence of U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Beirut Keith Hannigan and Chief of Staff of the 2024 ceasefire mechanism team, General Joseph Clearfield.

During the meeting, the conferees discussed preparations for implementing the framework agreement reached as a result of the Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations in Washington, the Presidency said.

Aoun also thanked Cooper for "the attention U.S. President Donald Trump has shown to Lebanon in achieving security and stability," while emphasizing the Lebanese state's "determination to extend its authority, through its armed forces, to the southern international border."

Cooper also met with Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal.

A U.S. Embassy statement said the Lebanese and U.S. officials "discussed the path forward and the official launching of the framework’s implementation, looking to build on the momentum generated by this agreement quickly and tangibly."

"This framework builds a realistic path out of the current conflict and establishes a clear and structured process to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and disarm Hezbollah," the statement said.

A Lebanese Army statement said Haykal and Cooper also discussed "the importance of successfully implementing the security annex of the framework agreement", as well as ways of strengthening future cooperation.

Cooper had arrived from Israel after holding talks there.

On Friday, Lebanon and Israel, under U.S. sponsorship, signed a "trilateral framework" agreement seeking to end hostilities, after the Iran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March with rocket fire at Israel, triggering Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion.

The deal commits Lebanon to restoring sovereignty over its territory through the "verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of associated infrastructure", enabling a progressive Israeli withdrawal, according to the text released by the State Department.

"The components of this process will be detailed in a Security Annex, developed with the full support of the United States," the text said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington would reimburse Lebanon's army for $30 million as it seeks to "improve the capability and capacity" of the Lebanese military.

Washington has long been a key supporter of Lebanon's army.

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has called the agreement "null and void" and instead called for the implementation of a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding to halt the regional war that included Lebanon.

The Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington have sought to separate Lebanon from the Iran deal.

However, Friday's agreement came after a lull in fighting that followed the U.S.-Iran memorandum, which Tehran insisted should include Lebanon.

Hezbollah on Monday said it reserved the right to self-defense after several Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon the day before, accusing Israel of a "blatant violation of the ceasefire".

Israeli troops are operating in a self-declared "security zone" stretching around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanese territory along the border.

Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since the war began on March 2 have killed more than 4,200 people.