Lebanese army begins deployment in southern pilot zone after Israeli withdrawal

Lebanon's army says its troops have begun deploying to a pilot zone in the south of the country after the withdrawal of Israeli forces under a US-brokered agreement reached last month. The army command said units entered the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in Nabatieh district on Tuesday morning. Israel's military confirmed on Monday night that the pilot zone plan had started, with Israeli troops pulling out of a small part of territory occupied during the conflict with Hezbollah.

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The move comes ahead of a meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun. Aoun is expected to press for further Israeli withdrawal from the rest of southern Lebanon and for support for the Lebanese army to take full control of areas where Hezbollah holds influence. The arrangement also remains tied to the disarmament of Hezbollah, which the agreement places alongside the phased withdrawal and Lebanese troop deployment.

The development is significant because it tests the first stage of a wider post-war security framework in southern Lebanon. The border area has been one of the most sensitive fronts in the conflict, and the pilot zone is intended to show whether limited Israeli pullbacks and Lebanese army deployment can proceed in parallel with commitments on armed groups. The process also places the Lebanese army in a central role at a time when Beirut is under pressure to extend state control in the south.

The broader context is a conflict that escalated after Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel on 2 March, prompting an Israeli bombing campaign across Lebanon and an invasion of part of the south, according to the supplied material. Lebanon's health ministry says 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.

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The pilot zone arrangement reflects continuing US involvement in efforts to stabilise the border and reduce the risk of renewed fighting. It also highlights the political pressure on Lebanon's leadership, which is being asked to secure further Israeli withdrawal while also addressing Hezbollah's weapons. For Israel, the plan is being presented as conditional and linked to compliance with the wider agreement.

What remains unclear is how far the pilot deployment will extend, how quickly the Lebanese army will expand its presence, and what verification will be used to judge whether the agreement is being followed. It is also not clear how Hezbollah will respond as the process advances. The next key test will be whether the initial deployment in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh leads to further withdrawals and a broader handover of control in southern Lebanon.

Israel has announced the start of a troop withdrawal from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, marking the first step in what it describes as a pilot-zone arrangement. The move was announced on Monday and is being carried out in cooperation with the armed forces of the United States and Lebanon. The zones are part of a wider agreement that links the disarmament of Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of Lebanese troops.

According to the confirmed report, the withdrawal applies to occupied zones in the south of Lebanon. Israel said the pilot zones are being implemented under a US-backed arrangement and warned that it would respond to any violation of the agreement. No timetable for the full withdrawal was given in the supplied material, and no additional operational details were confirmed.

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The announcement is significant because it touches on one of the most sensitive security issues along the Israel-Lebanon border. The arrangement described in the report places Hezbollah disarmament at the centre of the process, alongside the return of Lebanese army deployment to areas from which Israeli forces are pulling back. That makes the move relevant not only to border security, but also to the balance of armed control in southern Lebanon.

The development also highlights the role of the United States in trying to support a framework that can reduce the risk of renewed confrontation. The supplied material says the pilot zones are being implemented in cooperation with US and Lebanese armed forces, suggesting a coordinated mechanism rather than a unilateral military step. In practical terms, the arrangement appears designed to test whether limited withdrawals and Lebanese troop deployment can proceed alongside commitments on Hezbollah.

Southern Lebanon has long been a flashpoint in the wider Israel-Hezbollah conflict, and any change in troop positions there carries political and military implications. The current move is framed as part of an agreement rather than a standalone redeployment, which suggests that implementation on the ground will depend on compliance by the parties involved. Israel's warning that it will respond to violations indicates that the process remains conditional and potentially fragile.

What remains unclear from the available material is how many zones are included in the pilot phase, how quickly the withdrawal will proceed, and what verification mechanism will be used to judge compliance. It is also not clear how the Lebanese army will be deployed in practice or how Hezbollah will respond to the arrangement. The next developments to watch are whether the withdrawal continues beyond the initial zones and whether the agreement holds without incident.

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