Key facts
- Pilot safe zone operations have commenced in southern Lebanon.
- The initiative involves Israeli withdrawal and Lebanese army deployment.
- Israel bombed the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit.
- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is meeting with US President Donald Trump.
- A US-brokered framework aims to disarm Hezbollah and restore Lebanese sovereignty.
Pilot safe zone operations have begun in southern Lebanon as part of a US-brokered framework aimed at ending the conflict and disarming Hezbollah. The initiative involves Israeli forces withdrawing and the Lebanese army deploying to take over security responsibilities. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is in Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, marking a significant diplomatic engagement as the framework's first phase commences. The framework seeks to restore Lebanon's sovereignty and dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure. The US has committed $100 million in humanitarian assistance and $30 million to reimburse the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). However, questions remain about the LAF's capacity to disarm Hezbollah. The security annex of the deal is conditional and based on redeployment rather than immediate withdrawal. The Israeli military confirmed the process is underway and warned of forceful responses to any violations. President Aoun's visit to Washington includes meetings with US officials, with the framework seen by some as a pathway out of crisis for Lebanon.
Israel bombed the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit as the pilot zone operations commenced. Lebanese army troops began deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, a senior Lebanese security official said, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan. The plan foresees Lebanese army troops confiscating weapons from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in parts of southern Lebanon and phased withdrawals of Israeli troops. The Israeli military said on Monday that the plan, dubbed the pilot zone programme, has begun. Tuesday's handover of territory is the first test of the plan, which Lebanon hopes will enable it to restore control over a strip of land about 10 km (6.2 miles) deep into the country that remains occupied by Israeli troops.
Dozens of villages have been razed in that area and public infrastructure has been destroyed, including hospitals, power stations and water pumps. Tens of thousands of Lebanese who call the area home have been unable to return. The latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel began at the start of March, two days after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Hezbollah said its actions were in support of Tehran.
The army renewed a call for residents not to enter the town until the security situation stabilises and to follow instructions from deployed military units for their own safety. Army engineering teams have entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, and much work remains before it can be declared safe for residents. The mayor of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh described the destruction as extremely extensive, saying more than half the town had been destroyed and that the remaining homes had suffered severe damage, leaving the village uninhabitable. He questioned whether residents could return safely while Israeli forces remained in neighbouring Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh, which he said was closely connected to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and only a five-minute walk away.
The Israeli military confirmed on Monday that it was redeploying its forces as part of the pilot programme. Israeli officials have voiced scepticism about Lebanon's ability to disarm Hezbollah but Israel sees the deal reached last month as a vital step towards building peace with Lebanon in the long run.