Lebanese Army Begins Troop Deployment Under Ceasefire Agreement

The Lebanese Army has announced it has begun deploying forces in the town of Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, marking the first phase of implementing a US-mediated framework agreement with Israel. In a statement on Tuesday, the military command said a number of military units began deploying to the town in the morning, as part of field measures being undertaken by the army in southern Lebanon. Residents have been asked not to travel to Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh for their safety until the situation stabilises. Lebanon also requested the public to follow the instructions of the deployed military units. According to an Anadolu reporter, army engineering regiments entered the town and began conducting field surveys on roads to detect explosives and remnants left behind by Israeli forces, ahead of the full deployment of Lebanese troops. Local sources said the deployment took place after the Israeli army and its vehicles withdrew from the town. The US Department of State had previously announced on Monday the start of a pilot zone operation in several Lebanese villages, including Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh, under the framework of the agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel last month. The deal includes provisions for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied Lebanese territory, although it does not include a fixed timetable. The process will only be considered complete once the Lebanese Army has taken full security control of the areas vacated by Israel and disarmed militant groups, including Hezbollah. According to official Lebanese government data, Israeli attacks have killed 4,328 people and wounded 12,227 others in the country since 2 March. Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, some of which it has held for decades and others seized during the previous war between October 2023 and November 2024.