Jennifer Gavito, a former State Department official who worked under the Biden administration, has voiced strong doubts about the feasibility of Lebanon’s pilot zones proposal. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Gavito argued that the planned security zones may inadvertently strengthen Hezbollah’s position rather than stabilize the region, potentially enabling the group to maintain its armed presence under the guise of local governance. She also expressed skepticism about Israel’s willingness to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon, questioning whether the pilot zones could realistically achieve their intended security objectives without broader political consensus.
