Lebanese army deploys to 'pilot zone' after Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon

Lebanon's army has begun deploying troops to a pilot zone in southern Lebanon following the withdrawal of Israeli forces under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, according to BBC News reporting. The deployment marks the first concrete implementation of a framework aimed at de-escalating the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and establishing Lebanese state authority over occupied territory.

Lebanese army units entered the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in Nabatieh district on Tuesday morning, per BBC reporting. The US State Department announced on Monday afternoon that "pilot zone operations" had begun in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and two other villages, Froun and Srifa, in line with the Trilateral Framework agreement between Israel, Lebanon and the US. The Lebanese army also reported that its troops were already carrying out missions in Froun and Srifa following Monday's announcement. An Israeli source told the Haaretz newspaper that there were no Israeli troops in Froun and Srifa villages, suggesting Israel may not have needed to withdraw from those locations for the deployment to proceed.

Israel's military confirmed on Monday night the start of the pilot zone plan, which should see Israeli troops pulling out of a small part of the territory occupied during their conflict with Hezbollah as well as the disarmament of the Iran-backed group, according to BBC reporting. An Israeli military official stated that the Israel Defense Forces would "adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas" to allow the Lebanese army to carry out its mission, while also "safeguarding the security of IDF soldiers and preserving its right to self-defence and to remove threats." The objective of the pilot and the agreement is the disarmament of Hezbollah and the removal of its weapons, the official stated.

However, the Israeli military official indicated that the IDF will remain in the 10-kilometer (six-mile) deep "security zone" strip of occupied Lebanese territory running along the border for "as long as necessary" to defend northern Israeli communities, per BBC reporting. That statement suggests Israel will not withdraw from all occupied territory regardless of the pilot zone agreement's timeline.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese army's command said its units had begun deploying to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh "based on ongoing communications with the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon," referring to the trilateral body created to support implementation of the framework. The Lebanese army called on Lebanese citizens "not to head to the village until the security situation stabilises, and to comply with the instructions of the deployed military units for their own safety."

The pilot deployment is the direct result of discussions last week between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Rome. The framework emerged after Lebanon was drawn into the war between Israel, the US and Iran on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded by launching a bombing campaign across Lebanon and invading a significant part of the country's south. According to Lebanese health ministry figures cited by BBC reporting, more than 4,300 people have been killed in Lebanon, including almost 800 children, women and medics. Israeli authorities say 37 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed on both sides of the border during the conflict.

A meeting is expected in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Lebanese President Aoun is expected to urge Trump to put pressure on Israel to withdraw from the rest of southern Lebanon and to provide support to the Lebanese army to take full control of areas where Hezbollah holds sway.