Lebanon and Israel are expected to hold a new round of U.S.-mediated military talks in Florida on Oct. 20, with Beirut seeking progress toward a framework agreement, an end to Israeli attacks and the gradual deployment of the Lebanese army in areas from which Israeli forces withdraw.

The meeting would be the eighth round of talks between the two countries and is expected to take place a week before Israel’s Oct. 27 parliamentary election. The date is expected to be formally confirmed in the coming hours to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, according to information cited by Asharq Al-Awsat.

Unlike previous rounds, the upcoming meeting will focus exclusively on military issues.

Lebanon’s delegation will be headed by former ambassador Simon Karam and will include Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Mouawad, as well as a military team led by Brig. Gen. George Rizkallah, director of operations at the Lebanese army. The talks will be overseen by U.S. Gen. Joseph Clearfield, who heads the military coordination group for Lebanon.

Prisoners, ceasefire and Israeli positions

The Lebanese delegation is expected to again raise the issue of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel. Beirut is also expected to press for a formal ceasefire that would include an end to hostilities and an expansion of the current designated zone to cover towns and villages that remain under Israeli occupation.

Lebanon also wants to remove the deployment of its army from the disputes surrounding a proposed “verification mechanism.” Instead, according to the source, it is seeking the designation of a team responsible for ensuring that areas covered by the agreement are free of Hezbollah weapons and fighters.

For Beirut, the key test of the Florida meeting will be whether it produces concrete steps toward implementing the framework agreement rather than simply reaffirming that negotiations will continue.

One of Lebanon’s main demands is an end to the demolition of homes and the bulldozing of towns along the so-called Yellow Line, according to the source. Most homes in the affected areas have already been destroyed, while a small number remain and are being used by Israeli forces as military positions or gathering points, equipped with cameras to monitor possible infiltration by Hezbollah fighters.

The source said Lebanon does not currently expect Israel to expand its security zone after withdrawing its combat units. Beirut nevertheless wants Washington to intervene quickly to prevent such a move if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concludes that a larger zone is necessary for political or security reasons.

The withdrawal of Israel’s Golani Brigade and the reinforcement of defensive positions inside the occupied security zone indicate, according to the source, that Israel is now seeking to consolidate its control of the area.

Lebanon is seeking U.S. pressure not only to prevent any expansion of the security zone but also to halt attacks on the highlands between Iqlim al-Tuffah and Jabal al-Rihan and reduce Israeli violations and strikes on both sides of the Litani River.

Army deployment tied to Israeli withdrawal

Another central issue for Lebanon is the relationship between an Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army.

Beirut wants the two processes to move in tandem, particularly after the U.S. State Department stressed following the Salam-Rubio meeting that Hezbollah’s disarmament would be central to the process.

Lebanon has continued to publicly support the principle that weapons should be held exclusively by the state. But it also wants conditions that would allow the army to expand its deployment without coming under Israeli attack.

The Lebanese government argues that the army cannot effectively deploy in areas north of the Litani while Israeli forces continue to strike army positions and other locations along the front line.

The preferred approach, according to the source, would therefore be a phased implementation: Lebanese forces would move into areas vacated by Israel as Israeli forces withdraw. Such a process would also give the Lebanese government greater leverage in its efforts to address Hezbollah’s weapons.

The source said Hezbollah had so far rejected calls to draw lessons from its support for Gaza and Iran and instead back Lebanon’s position and state institutions. The group’s decision-making over war and peace, the source argued, has contributed to a series of crises that the Lebanese government is now being asked to manage.

A stronger government position, coupled with greater international support, could put additional pressure on Hezbollah, the source said, particularly as Washington has sought to keep Lebanon’s negotiations separate from its discussions with Iran.