Lebanese Military Accuses Israel of Violating Agreement in Pilot Zones

Displaced residents returning to their home towns in southern Lebanon are encountering scenes of widespread destruction. According to reporting from Zawtar al-Gharbiya by Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, civilians are coming back to homes reduced to rubble while Israeli forces remain positioned nearby at the edge of the village.

The return of local families comes after the deployment of troops by the Lebanese army on Tuesday to the first of three designated pilot zone villages. The move was established under a United States-backed agreement signed last month, which calls for the phased withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon. However, the path to civilian restoration has hit severe roadblocks on the ground.

Lebanese Military Accuses Israel of Violating Agreements in Pilot Villages

The Lebanese military issued a stark statement asserting that ongoing Israeli operations are directly sabotaging the transition of security control. According to Al Jazeera, the army accused Israel of violating agreements by shelling the pilot villages and conducting continuous clearance operations.

The Lebanese army stated that the continuation of these assaults hinders the completion of the army’s deployment and prevents the return of residents to their villages and towns.

While Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Froun, and Srifa were chosen as the initial three pilot zones for the first phase of withdrawals, deep concerns persist over the absence of a clear exit schedule from the Israeli military. Civilians returning to parts of western Zawtar, Tibnit, and Nabatieh al-Fawqa have encountered active Israeli gunfire even as they arrived at their properties, according to the military.

Widespread Destruction Across Southern Towns and Farmland

The scope of active operations extends far beyond the initial return zones. The Lebanese army reported that Israeli forces were actively bulldozing, shelling, and conducting combing operations with machine guns across multiple locations.

The military detailed operations in Nabatieh, Hdda, Kunin, Bint Jbeil, Nabi Ibel al-Saqi, Khiam, al-Mansouri, Bayt al-Siyad, and Majdal Zoun in Tyre. Additionally, infrastructure and agriculture have taken heavy hits. A water project in the town of Markaba was blown up, while olive trees and swathes of farmland were razed on the outskirts of Aitaroun.

According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli army has conditioned any further movement from the edge of Zawtar al-Gharbiya on the dismantling of Hezbollah. Israel has maintained military occupations across southern Lebanon for months, stating that its presence remains necessary to combat the group.

Diplomatic Pressure and the Shadow of Wider Conflict

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group, has rejected the US-brokered deal entirely, demanding an unconditional exit by Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.

In an effort to break the deadlock, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun traveled to Washington, DC, last week to meet with US President Donald Trump, pressing the American administration to compel Israel into full compliance with the agreement.

The current friction unfolds against a devastating backdrop of earlier escalation. Full-scale fighting erupted once more in Lebanon in March after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to the joint US-Israel war on Iran and the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Al Jazeera notes that the latest round of violence has left at least 4,330 people dead, alongside 37 Israeli soldiers and four Israeli civilians.