The Lebanese army said troops were deployed in the ‘driver’s seat’ after the Israeli withdrawal
The Lebanese army says its troops have begun deploying to an “airport” in the south of the country following the withdrawal of Israeli forces under a US-brokered deal last month.
A statement from the army commander said the units entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh village in Nabatieh district on Tuesday morning.
On Monday night, the Israeli army confirmed the start of a plan to drive the area, which should see the Israeli army withdraw from a small part of the area it occupied during its conflict with Hezbollah and the disarmament of the Iran-backed group.
This comes before a meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump and his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun.
Aoun is expected to urge Trump to put pressure on Israel to withdraw from all of South Lebanon and provide support for the Lebanese army to take full control of areas controlled by Hezbollah.
The US State Department announced on Monday afternoon that “the operation of the airstrip” has begun in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and two other areas of Lebanon, Froun and Srifa, in accordance with the Trilateral Framework agreement between Israel, Lebanon and the US.
It said the “milestone” was a direct result of last week’s talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Rome.
Later on Monday, an Israeli military official confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will “adjust its military position at one of the airstrips” to allow the Lebanese army to carry out its mission, while “protecting the safety of IDF soldiers and maintaining their right to defend themselves and eliminate threats”.
“The objective of the pilot and the agreement is the disarmament of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and the removal of its illegal weapons,” the official said.
They reiterated that the IDF will remain in the “security zone” – a 10km (six miles) deep zone of Lebanese territory along the border – for “as long as possible” to protect communities in northern Israel.
On Tuesday, the command of the Lebanese army said that its units have started to move to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh “based on the continuous communication with the Coordination Group of the Lebanese Army”, referring to the joint structure created to support the implementation of the framework.
The statement also urged Lebanese citizens “to refrain from going to the village until the security situation is stabilized, and to obey the orders of the troops deployed for their safety”.
The Lebanese army said its troops were already carrying out their duties in the nearby areas of Froun and Srifa following Monday’s announcement by the United States.
An Israeli source also told Haaretz newspaper that there are no Israeli soldiers in those villages.
Lebanon was embroiled in a war between Israel, the US and Iran on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed Iran’s top leader.
Israel responded by launching a bombing campaign across Lebanon and attacked a significant part of the south of the country.
More than 4,300 people have been killed in Lebanon, including about 800 children, women and doctors, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Israeli authorities say 37 Israeli soldiers and four civilians were killed on both sides of the border during the fighting.
