The Lebanese Armed Forces began deploying into the southern town of Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. This operation, confirmed by the Lebanese Army Command, marks the first phase of the Experimental Areas
initiative, a security framework linked to an agreement regarding the security situation in southern Lebanon. The deployment follows weeks of negotiations mediated by the United States, including discussions held in Rome last week between Lebanese and Israeli representatives.
الجيش اللبناني يبدأ الانتشار في بلدة زوطر الغربية في 21 يوليو 2026
Deployment in Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh
On the morning of Tuesday, July 21, 2026, units from the Lebanese Army entered Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh Governorate. The deployment was conducted following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the locality. According to reports from the Lebanese National News Agency, a force from the Lebanese Army’s Engineering Regiment entered the town to execute the Experimental Areas
plan. The military’s Engineering Regiment and the Second Intervention Regiment have since been deployed at the town’s entrances and within neighborhoods to conduct a full survey and clear explosive remnants of war.
The Lebanese Army Command stated: The military units began deploying this morning in the town of Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh – Nabatieh based on existing communications with the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L). This action was described as a follow-up to previous statements regarding the army’s ongoing tasks in the southern regions. The command has issued a directive to citizens, urging them not to head to the town until the security situation stabilizes, and to comply with the instructions of the deployed military units to preserve their safety.
The local impact remains severe. The Mayor of Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh stated that residents are waiting for the army to announce that a return is possible so they can inspect their property. However, the mayor noted that there are no foundations for living within the town, as most homes are destroyed and the entire infrastructure has been razed.
اتفاق واشنطن يحدد بلدات فرون وصريفا وزوطر الغربية كمناطق تجريبية
The Framework of the Experimental Areas
The current deployment is part of a broader Framework Agreement signed by the Lebanese and Israeli governments on June 26, 2026, in Washington, following rounds of negotiations under American sponsorship. The plan, which the Israeli military has referred to as the Experimental Safe Zone,
requires the Lebanese Army to take responsibility for security in areas vacated by Israeli forces. The initiative is intended to act as a trial for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from other regions of southern Lebanon.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut announced that the first Experimental Areas
include the towns of Froun in the Bint Jbeil district, Srifa in the Tyre district, and Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh Governorate. These areas are being managed through a tripartite coordination mechanism under the auspices of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), which includes representatives from the Lebanese Army, the United States, and Israel.
حزب الله يعلن رفضه لاتفاق الإطار الأمني والترتيبات العسكرية في الجنوب
Regional Tensions and Negotiating Hurdles
The initiation of the plan has occurred amidst ongoing hostilities. The Lebanese National News Agency reported that between midnight and the early hours of Tuesday, the Israeli military conducted six large-scale explosions in the vicinity of Zoutar al-Sharqiya and Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh. Additionally, the Deir neighborhood in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the outskirts of the town of Mayfadun were subjected to intermittent artillery shelling.
While the Lebanese government continues to coordinate with the MCG4L to facilitate the return of displaced persons, the security environment remains volatile. Hezbollah has formally declared its rejection of the framework agreement. The group stated that the arrangements concerning the deployment of the Lebanese Army and the potential disarmament of non-state actors infringe upon Lebanese sovereignty and confirmed its refusal to relinquish its weapons.
The implementation of this security framework follows a period of intense conflict, which, according to official Lebanese authorities, has resulted in the deaths of more than 4,300 people in Lebanon since the start of the war. Despite the rejection from Hezbollah, the Lebanese Army maintains that it continues to carry out its assigned tasks in the southern regions, including in the towns of Froun and Srifa, while coordinating for the expansion of the Experimental Areas
project.
Sources: News, مونت كارلو الدولية.
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