Direct military negotiations between Lebanon and Israel got underway at the Pentagon on Friday, as Lebanese army officials entered the talks with a clear focus on securing a comprehensive ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon before discussing broader security arrangements.

The negotiations, expected to last around eight hours, mark the first round of talks conducted exclusively by military officials after previous discussions between the two sides were held through diplomatic channels at the US State Department.

The Lebanese delegation is headed by Brig. Gen. Georges Rizkallah, Director of Operations at the Lebanese Armed Forces, and includes Brig. Gen. Ziad Rizkallah, Brig. Gen. Shadi Abou Karroum, Brig. Gen. Wael Abbas, Col. Mazen El Hajj, Col. Wadih Rafoul, and Lebanon’s military attaché in Washington, Brig. Gen. Oliver Hakmeh. Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States was also expected to attend the opening session.

According to Lebanese media reports, the delegation planned to present a detailed assessment of the Lebanese army’s operations south of the Litani River, highlighting the measures already implemented under government decisions as well as the operational difficulties the military continues to face.

Lebanese officials were also expected to raise the issue of international military assistance, arguing that the army still requires equipment and support previously promised by foreign partners but not delivered in the necessary form.

A Lebanese source told Sky News Arabia ahead of the meeting that the delegation entered the talks under “clear and decisive” instructions centered on “the necessity of achieving and consolidating a ceasefire before addressing any other issue.”

The source stressed that the Lebanese delegation would not engage in political negotiations and would instead limit discussions to “purely technical matters.”

“Any issue not related to stopping hostilities and consolidating the ceasefire is not open for discussion,” the source said.

An official Lebanese source also told Al Jazeera that the delegation held a preparatory meeting on Thursday with the American team at the Pentagon ahead of the formal negotiations.

According to the source, Lebanon’s position in the talks is based primarily on securing a ceasefire while proposing improvements to the ceasefire monitoring committee, known as the “mechanism,” which was established in 2024 following the full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The committee, led by the United States, was intended to monitor violations of the ceasefire agreement, although Lebanese officials argue it failed to stop continued Israeli attacks inside Lebanon.

The Lebanese delegation is also expected to discuss the future role of the monitoring mechanism and the concept of so-called “pilot zones” — areas from which Israeli forces would withdraw before transferring control to the Lebanese army.

However, Lebanese officials insisted that no such arrangement could be implemented without first securing a ceasefire.

“There can be no discussion of establishing a pilot zone in southern Lebanon without a ceasefire,” the source said, adding that Israeli forces “cannot be partners in managing any pilot zone.”

Lebanese military officials also reiterated that the army cannot effectively carry out field operations while Israeli forces continue to occupy and control areas in southern Lebanon.

“The army’s core principles are clear and based on the priority of a full and comprehensive ceasefire, as well as the necessity of Israel withdrawing from the positions it occupies,” a Lebanese military source told The New Arab.

“How can the Lebanese army carry out its duties while Israel occupies and controls by firepower more than 60 villages and towns in southern Lebanon?” the source added.

During the talks, the Lebanese army is expected to present a phased plan aimed at consolidating Hezbollah’s weapons under state authority, while reaffirming its readiness to deploy across southern Lebanon and transform the region into a weapons-free zone.

Lebanese officials said such steps would require a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas and an end to all strikes, including attacks targeting Lebanese army positions and personnel.

The delegation is also expected to present measures already taken by the Lebanese government to restrict arms possession to the state, while emphasizing the need for continued international backing to enable the army to fulfill its missions and preserve civil peace.