BEIRUT, July 21 - Lebanese army troops started to move into Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Tuesday following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from that southern town, a senior Lebanese security official said. The move is part of a U.S.-brokered arrangement that foresees Lebanese army deployments in certain areas and the confiscation of weapons from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in parts of southern Lebanon.
The plan, described by Israeli authorities as the pilot zone programme, envisages phased Israeli withdrawals from a strip of land roughly 10 km deep inside Lebanon that remains under Israeli occupation in places. Israeli military statements earlier said the programme had begun on Monday, though officials gave no immediate comment on Tuesday.
Lebanese officials said Tuesday’s transfer of territory to the national army is the first operational test of that plan. Lebanese authorities have framed the initiative as a path to restoring sovereignty over the contested border strip. Dozens of villages in the area have been razed during recent fighting and vital public infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed - including hospitals, power stations and water pumps - leaving tens of thousands of residents unable to return home.
The Lebanese army reported that its units entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh region on Tuesday. In a safety advisory, the army urged residents to stay out of the town until the security situation stabilises and to follow instructions issued by the deployed units for their own protection.
Israel announced on Monday that it was redeploying forces as part of the pilot programme. In a statement, an Israeli military official said the pilot is meant to test "the Lebanese Armed Forces’ sovereignty in the three pilot villages, as the sole official authority authorised to bear arms in the area."
"The pilot serves as a test of the Lebanese Armed Forces’ sovereignty in the three pilot villages, as the sole official authority authorised to bear arms in the area," an Israeli military official said.
Israeli officials have expressed scepticism about Lebanon’s capacity to disarm Hezbollah, but view the agreement reached last month as an important step toward a more stable long-term arrangement between the two countries. The current transfer is being watched closely as a barometer of whether the plan can be implemented on the ground.
The latest escalation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel began in early March, shortly after strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran. Hezbollah stated its operations were conducted in support of Tehran. Against this wider backdrop, the pilot programme represents a narrowly defined attempt to manage armed presence and territorial control along parts of the border.
Separately, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington later on Tuesday.
Summary: The Lebanese army has entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces pulled back under a U.S.-brokered pilot programme intended to test Lebanese state control and the removal of armed groups from parts of southern Lebanon. The area has seen extensive destruction and displacement, and the operation is the first practical handover under the deal.
- Key points:
- The deployment in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh is the first operational handover under the pilot zone programme.
- The U.S.-brokered plan includes Lebanese army confiscation of weapons from Hezbollah in parts of southern Lebanon and phased Israeli withdrawals from a 10 km strip.
- Extensive destruction in the contested area - including razed villages and damaged hospitals, power stations and water pumps - has left tens of thousands displaced.
- Risks and uncertainties:
- Uncertainty over Lebanon’s ability to disarm Hezbollah could affect the durability of the pilot programme - with implications for security and reconstruction efforts in the affected region.
- The fragile security situation during and after redeployments poses risks to civilians returning to damaged areas, which could delay humanitarian and infrastructure recovery.
- Ongoing tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, rooted in recent exchanges following strikes against Iran, could influence whether the pilot scheme remains stable.