Ceasefire with Israel: Lebanon to Deploy Troops in South

The statement was made by Salam on Thursday (5/6/2026), a day after Israel and Lebanon reached an agreement in Washington to implement a ceasefire. “The next practical and concrete step is the deployment of the Lebanese army in the pilot zone as a first phase,” said Salam, according to a statement read by Information Minister Paul Morcos after a cabinet meeting, as reported by AFP on Thursday (4/6/2026). Salam stressed that this step does not mean Lebanon is reducing its demands for Israel to withdraw all its troops from Lebanese territory. “This does not diminish our right to a full withdrawal (by Israel), but it brings us closer to it,” he said. Under a joint statement released after the talks in Washington, Israel and Lebanon agreed to establish a “pilot zone” in southern Lebanon. In this territory, the Lebanese army will be the sole party controlling security. Lebanese army troops are said to be taking exclusive control of the area, sidelining all non-state actors. However, the agreement has been rejected by the Hezbollah group, which has long held strong influence in the southern region of Lebanon. A previous ceasefire intended to halt the fighting in Lebanon was supposed to come into effect on 17 April but was never observed. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said last week that more than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since the 17 April ceasefire.