BEIRUT — Lebanese military units started moving into the southern town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Tuesday after Israeli forces pulled out of the area, according to a senior Lebanese security official. The move is part of a plan negotiated with U.S. involvement.
Under the agreement, Lebanese army troops are tasked with seizing weapons from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah organization in parts of southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces carry out a staged withdrawal from the region. The Israeli military announced Monday that the initiative, known as the pilot zone programme, had officially gotten underway, though it offered no further comment on Tuesday’s developments.
Tuesday’s transfer of territory represents the first real test of the agreement. Lebanon is hoping the plan will allow it to reclaim authority over a stretch of land running roughly 10 kilometers — about 6.2 miles — into the country that Israeli troops currently occupy.
The area has suffered widespread destruction, with dozens of villages leveled and critical public infrastructure — including hospitals, electrical stations, and water systems — demolished. Tens of thousands of residents who once called the region home have been prevented from returning.
The current round of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel broke out in early March, two days after the United States and Israel carried out strikes against Iran. Hezbollah stated that its involvement was in solidarity with Tehran.
The Lebanese army confirmed that its units had begun deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, located in the Nabatieh region, on Tuesday. Military officials again urged residents to stay out of the town until conditions are deemed safe and to comply with instructions from deployed troops.
An Israeli military official described the purpose of the pilot programme, saying: “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.”
While Israeli officials have expressed doubts about Lebanon’s capacity to disarm Hezbollah, Israel views the deal — reached last month — as an important step toward achieving long-term peace with Lebanon.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington later on Tuesday.
