Israel Begins Pilot Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon

The IDF stressed that it will act forcefully against any violation of the agreement.

By United with Israel Staff

The Lebanese army deployed Tuesday to the southern village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya in the Nabatieh district following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, marking the beginning of a pilot phase of the U.S.-brokered security framework in southern Lebanon.

A Lebanese security official told Reuters that Lebanese troops entered the village as part of the initial implementation of the pilot program, which is intended to gradually transfer responsibility for parts of southern Lebanon to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

The deployment follows an announcement by the U.S. State Department on Monday that pilot zone operations had begun in the villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar al-Gharbiya under the Trilateral Framework and the supervision of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.

The State Department said the pilot is “a direct outcome of last week’s discussions between Israel and Lebanon in Rome,” adding that the United States would continue working with both sides to fully implement the framework.

The IDF confirmed that, at the direction of Israel’s political leadership, it has begun the pilot “safe zone” initiative in coordination with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Lebanese army. Under the plan, Israeli, American, and Lebanese military teams are coordinating the next stages of the agreement.

The Israeli military stressed that it “will act forcefully against any violation of the agreement,” signaling that it will continue to respond to Hezbollah activity despite the gradual redeployment.

The pilot began as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun traveled to Washington for talks with President Donald Trump. According to Israeli media reports, Lebanon has also received stern warnings that any attempt by Hezbollah to join the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict could trigger a broad Israeli military response and further devastation in Lebanon.

The initiative is being closely watched as a test of whether the Lebanese army can effectively assume security responsibilities in areas previously dominated by Hezbollah while preventing the Iran-backed terror group from reestablishing its military presence near Israel’s northern border.

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