Lebanese army deploys in southern town after Israeli withdrawal, official says

BEIRUT, July 21 (Reuters) – Lebanese army troops began deploying in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh on Tuesday after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, a senior Lebanese security official said, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan.

The plan foresees Lebanese army troops confiscating weapons from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in parts of southern Lebanon and phased withdrawals of Israeli troops. The Israeli military said on Monday that the plan, dubbed the pilot zone programme, has begun. It had no immediate comment on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s handover of territory is the first test of the plan, which Lebanon hopes will enable it to restore control over a strip of land about 10 km (6.2 miles) deep into the country that remains occupied by Israeli troops.

Dozens of villages have been razed in that area and public infrastructure has been destroyed, including hospitals, power stations and water pumps. Tens of thousands of Lebanese who call the area home have been unable to return.

The latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel erupted at the start of March, two days after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Hezbollah said its actions were in support of Tehran.

The Lebanese army said its units began deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh region on Tuesday.

The army renewed a call for residents not to enter the town until the security situation stabilises and to follow instructions from deployed military units for their own safety.

The Israeli military confirmed on Monday that it was redeploying its forces as part of the pilot programme.

“The pilot serves as a test of the Lebanese Armed Forces’ sovereignty in the three pilot villages, as the sole official authority authorised to bear arms in the area,” an Israeli military official said.

Israeli officials have voiced scepticism about Lebanon’s ability to disarm Hezbollah but Israel sees the deal reached last month as a vital step towards building peace with Lebanon in the long run.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was due later on Tuesday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

(Reporting by Maya Gebeily and Maayan Lubell; Writing by Tala Ramadan, Editing by Andrew Heavens and Timothy Heritage)