The Lebanese army has accused Israel of obstructing its efforts to take over control of security in southern Lebanon. The dispute over the Lebanon pilot zones centres on Israeli shelling and clearance operations that the Lebanese military says are preventing troops from fully taking over villages as agreed.
The Lebanese military said in a statement on Sunday that the Israeli army was continuing to conduct shelling and clearance operations, preventing Lebanese troops from fully taking over the villages as planned.
How the Pilot Zone Takeover Began
The Lebanese army deployed troops on Tuesday to the first of three pilot zone villages. The move for local forces to take over security follows a US-backed agreement signed last month that should see the phased withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon.
“The continuation of these assaults hinders the completion of the army’s deployment … and prevents the return of residents to their villages and towns,” the Lebanese army said in its statement.
Three villages, Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Froun and Srifa, were chosen as pilot zones for the first phase of Israeli withdrawals. Concerns over the lack of a clear exit schedule from Israel have persisted since the deployment began.
Continued Israeli Operations Reported Across the South
Parts of western Zawtar, Tibnit and Nabatieh al-Fawqa were still experiencing Israeli gunfire even as civilians returned home, the Lebanese military said on Sunday. It added that Israel was bulldozing, shelling and conducting combing operations with machine guns in Nabatieh, Hdda, Kunin, Bint Jbeil, Nabi Ibel al-Saqi, Khiam, al-Mansouri and Bayt al-Siyad, as well as Majdal Zoun in Tyre.
A water project in the town of Markaba was also destroyed, while olive trees and swathes of farmland were razed on the outskirts of Aitaroun.
Reporting from Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr said displaced residents had returned to homes reduced to rubble. She said the Israeli army had withdrawn to the edge of the village but was conditioning any further movement on the dismantling of Hezbollah.
Diplomatic Efforts Continue Amid Ongoing Occupation
Israel has occupied locations across southern Lebanon for months, insisting its presence remains necessary to fight Hezbollah. The Iran-backed armed group has rejected the US-brokered deal, demanding Israel’s unconditional withdrawal.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visited US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, last week in an effort to persuade him to pressure Israel into complying with the agreement.
Background: Renewed Fighting Since March
Fighting erupted once again in Lebanon 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. At least 4,330 people have been killed in the latest round of violence, alongside 37 Israeli soldiers and four Israeli civilians.
