Lebanese army deploys in Zawtar al-Gharbiya.. Israeli fire near units hinders deployment
Lebanese army deploys in 3 southern towns under June 26 framework agreement, with warning of obstruction after Israeli fire near its units.
The Lebanese army’s engineering unit began deploying on Tuesday in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya in southern Lebanon, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, as part of the first phase of the pilot zones project under the framework agreement, at a time when President Joseph Aoun is meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss implementation mechanisms and Hezbollah disarmament, according to a Lebanese official quoted by Reuters.
Israeli fire during Lebanese army deployment
The Lebanese army announced in an urgent statement that Israeli forces opened fire near its units during their deployment in Zawtar al-Gharbiya. The Lebanese army warned that this “aggression” would hinder the implementation of deployment steps in the pilot zones.
Lebanese army enters Zawtar al-Gharbiya
A statement issued by the Lebanese army command said that the deployment of military units in Zawtar al-Gharbiya – Nabatieh comes within the framework of implementing the first phase of the pilot zones project under the “framework agreement,” and following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the town.
The deployment coincided with continued army deployment in the towns of Froun in the Bint Jbeil district and Srifa in the Tyre district.
The statement added that the step comes based on communications with the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), and the army renewed its call for citizens not to head to the town until the security situation stabilizes, and to abide by the directives of the deployed units.
Israeli confirmation of cooperation with Americans
For its part, the Israeli military confirmed in a statement that “the pilot phase began in cooperation with the US Central Command and the Lebanese army, with adjustments to Israeli positions in one of the pilot areas to enable the Lebanese army to perform its mission, while maintaining the security of Israeli soldiers and its right to self-defense.”
The Israeli military considered that “this step constitutes a test of the Lebanese army’s ability to extend its sovereignty over the three villages as the sole official authority authorized to bear arms in the area.”
Start of operations in the three towns
The US State Department had earlier announced the start of operations in the three towns included in the pilot phase: Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar al-Gharbiya.
This step aims to test the success of the agreed mechanism before expanding it to include other areas in southern Lebanon.
Aoun asks Trump to pressure Israel
In a related context, Reuters quoted a Lebanese official as saying that President Joseph Aoun, who is meeting President Donald Trump at the White House today, believes that his US counterpart is the only one capable of exerting sufficient pressure on Israel to force it to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
The official explained that Aoun will present Trump with a written proposal on the mechanism for dismantling Hezbollah’s arsenal, in addition to his request to pressure Israel to withdraw according to the June 26 agreement sponsored by Washington.
Aoun had arrived in Washington over the weekend and met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and told him that Israel must begin withdrawal according to the agreement aimed at disarming Hezbollah and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Sensitive context for Lebanon
This meeting comes at a time when Israeli forces occupy a wide area of southern Lebanon, with hundreds of thousands of Lebanese living as displaced persons following Israeli strikes, while Hezbollah strongly rejects the government’s direct talks with Israel and state efforts to disarm it.
Aoun had called immediately after the outbreak of war on March 2 for direct talks with Israel, a move that made him the target of sharp criticism from Hezbollah and its supporters, but he stood firm, criticizing the party for starting the war and stressing that Lebanon is being destroyed for Iran’s sake.
🇱🇧#شعب_جيش_دولة🇱🇧
دخول آليات الجيش اللبناني إلى #زوطر_الغربية عقب انسحاب القوات الإسرائيلية
ضمن إطار تطبيق المرحلة الأولى من المناطق التجريبية👏👏 pic.twitter.com/UXzS0dTjZo— Pamela Nasri (@NasriPamela) July 21, 2026
