The Lebanese army has disclosed that its soldiers have begun deploying in the southern town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the sector as part of a US-mediated agreement.
This comes as Israel, Lebanon, and the United States announced yesterday that the so-called “pilot zone” project had begun. The pilot zone plan is part of a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, signed in Washington last month. It will see Israel withdraw from a small number of areas in southern Lebanon, even as it remains in others it has invaded since escalating its war on the country in March, killing more than 4,300 people.
Earlier, the US State Department said that Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh is among three southern areas set to trial the implementation of the US-mediated deal. Under the agreement, the Israeli military will carry out a phased withdrawal from the locations it occupies in southern Lebanon, after which the Lebanese military will take over security arrangements and oversee the disarmament of Hezbollah.The other two villages are Froun and Srifa.
Two of the three villages, Froun and Srifa, are not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present there, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh. Some locals have questioned their inclusion in the plan, saying the villages were never occupied by Israeli forces.
To them, the inclusion of their villages is evidence that Israel is in fact not giving anything up despite the framework agreement, and is instead able to remain in the areas it has occupied.Lebanese security.
In a statement, the Lebanese army renewed its call for citizens not to head to the town until the security situation stabilizes, and to adhere to the directives of the deployed military units for their own safety.
Dozens of displaced residents have begun to return to villages in southern Lebanon, after Israeli bombardment forced them to flee. Spanish troops had been patrolling the area opposite Froun as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) deployed south of the Litani River, though its mission is set to end by year’s end under a UN Security Council resolution.
Lebanese President To Meet Trump
Meanwhile, Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump today, in a bid to bring about long-term calm in the war-torn country after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
The meeting will wrap up Aoun’s four-day visit to Washington. Aoun’s landmark meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel continue to hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. Lebanon hopes they will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and for the Lebanese military to receive support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway.
Lebanon and Israel announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon as well as the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in the area. It also lays out steps toward an eventual peace agreement between both countries, which have never held formal diplomatic ties and have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel’s establishment.
“Extending state authority” is expected to top the agenda when Lebanese President Joseph Aoun meets with Trump.
On Sunday, Aoun met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington will continue to endorse the Lebanese agreement and support the agreement’s full implementation.
Rubio described the meeting as “very positive” and warned that Lebanon will “never be fully at peace” as long as the Hezbollah issue is not resolved. “How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country,” Rubio said after the meeting.
Skeptics in Lebanon fear that a military confrontation with Hezbollah could lead to a civil war, as government officials have also urged for investment into the country’s battered infrastructure to empower the weakened state, which Rubio iterated. “This is not just about military stuff,” he said, adding, “This is about how can we attract more U.S. and international investment into Lebanon.”
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