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The Lebanese army announced the start of deployments to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh region on Tuesday as part of efforts to assume control in designated pilot zones following an agreement with Israel. The army said in a statement that military units began moving into the area that morning. An AFP correspondent observed vehicles including one flying the Lebanese flag entering the village which lies on the edge of territory Israel has described as a security zone. The move comes after Israeli forces withdrew from the immediate area with coordination handled through a US-facilitated trilateral mechanism.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was in Washington on Tuesday for a meeting with US President Donald Trump as the agreement’s sponsor according to Reuters. The framework signed last month sets out steps for Hezbollah’s disarmament in specific southern zones and the handover of territory to Lebanese state forces. Israeli troops had previously held positions on the outskirts of one pilot zone while Lebanese units already maintained a presence in the other two Reuters reported.
The Lebanese army had continued operations in nearby villages of Froun and Srifa prior to the latest deployment the statement indicated. Coordination for the entry into Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh occurred after confirmation of Israeli withdrawal through the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon. This body was established under the agreement to support implementation of its terms a Reuters dispatch from the previous day noted.
The pilot zones form part of a broader process that began with a US-brokered ceasefire in November 2024 ending the most recent round of Israel-Hezbollah fighting according to Reuters coverage. Lebanese forces later declared they had achieved operational control south of the Litani River in January 2026 though Israeli troops retained positions in certain sectors. The current agreement seeks to expand areas under exclusive Lebanese army authority while addressing remaining Hezbollah infrastructure in those locations.
Under the arrangement the Lebanese army holds responsibility for clearing pilot zones of non-state weapons and related infrastructure as outlined in the framework. US officials have described the initiative as an initial step toward restoring full Lebanese state authority in the south Reuters reported. Israeli statements have indicated that further withdrawals would depend on verified progress in disarming Hezbollah and securing the zones.
The deployment on Tuesday marks the first such move into a new pilot zone since the agreement’s signing last month. Lebanese officials have coordinated closely with the trilateral group to sequence the army’s entry following Israeli redeployments. The process continues to unfold amid ongoing diplomatic engagements in Washington aimed at sustaining momentum on the ground.
