Lebanon pilot zones takeover blocked by Israeli actions, army says
Lebanon's army says Israeli fire and demolition work are delaying local control in three southern villages under a US-backed withdrawal deal.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
The Lebanon pilot zones plan is being held up by Israeli military activity in the south, the Lebanese army said Sunday. The accusation matters because the villages are meant to be the first test of a United States-backed arrangement for Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon in stages.
In a statement, the Lebanese military said Israeli shelling and clearance operations were stopping Lebanese troops from completing their deployment in several villages. The army said the activity was also keeping residents from returning safely to towns and villages in the area.
Lebanese troops began moving Tuesday into the first of three villages selected for the initial handover, according to Al Jazeera. The three “pilot zones” named in the plan are Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Froun and Srifa.
What are Lebanon pilot zones?
The pilot zones are three southern Lebanese villages chosen for the first stage of a planned Israeli withdrawal, according to Al Jazeera. Under the US-backed agreement signed last month, Lebanese forces are supposed to assume security control as Israeli troops pull back in phases.
The Lebanese army said Israeli fire was continuing in parts of western Zawtar, Tibnit and Nabatieh al-Fawqa while civilians were returning. It also accused Israeli forces of bulldozing, shelling and using machine guns in areas including Nabatieh, Hdda, Kunin, Bint Jbeil, Nabi Ibel al-Saqi, Khiam, al-Mansouri, Bayt al-Siyad and Majdal Zoun in Tyre.
The army said a water project in Markaba had been destroyed. It also said olive trees and farmland had been razed near Aitaroun.
Reporting from Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said displaced residents were coming back to destroyed homes. She reported that Israeli forces had pulled back to the edge of the village but were making any further movement conditional on Hezbollah being dismantled.
Why is the withdrawal plan disputed?
Israel has held positions across southern Lebanon for months and says its presence is needed to fight Hezbollah, according to Al Jazeera. The Iran-backed armed group has rejected the US-brokered agreement and is demanding that Israel leave without conditions.
Al Jazeera reported that concerns remain over the absence of a clear Israeli timetable for leaving the pilot zones. The Lebanese army’s latest statement indicates that the first stage of the deal is already facing obstacles on the ground.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun traveled to Washington, DC, last week to meet US President Donald Trump, according to Al Jazeera. The visit was aimed at urging Trump to press Israel to comply with the agreement.
Al Jazeera reported that fighting in Lebanon resumed in March after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to the US-Israel war on Iran and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The latest round of violence has killed at least 4,330 people, while 37 Israeli soldiers and four Israeli civilians have died, according to Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.