Lebanese military engineers have begun surveying streets and clearing explosives in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, the army confirmed as troops entered the Nabatieh district town, advancing the pilot-zone rollout after initial deployments were delayed by the continued Israeli presence.
The army has urged residents not to return to the town while forces stabilise security. The three designated villages cover no more than 2 percent of the roughly 600 square kilometres Israel controls in southern Lebanon, and Israeli forces never entered Froun or Srifa, meaning those areas do not involve a withdrawal from occupied territory. The framework envisions a gradual Israeli pullout with no fixed timetable, contingent on the Lebanese army assuming security control and disarming militias.
Israel has warned it will respond to any violation of the agreement, while Hezbollah rejects the deal and opposes disarmament. Analysts say the initiative's success depends on how the army deploys and how Hezbollah reacts. Since March, Israeli strikes have killed 4,328 people and wounded 12,227 in Lebanon.