The Lebanese Armed Forces announced on Tuesday that its troops have begun deploying in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon after the IDF withdrew. The LAF called on citizens not to head to the town until the security situation stabilizes, and to adhere to the directives of the deployed military units to preserve their safety.
The move is part of the implementation of the pilot program deal between Israel and Lebanon, with US support. The IDF announced on Monday that the “Safe Zone" pilot program began in southern Lebanon, in cooperation with the US military (CENTCOM) and the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The IDF stated that as part of the pilot, teams from the IDF, the US military, and the Lebanese Armed Forces are conducting coordination and planning for the continued implementation of the agreement. The IDF stressed that it will respond forcefully to any violation of the agreement.
A military official stated that the IDF is redeploying in one of the pilot areas to enable the LAF to carry out its mission, while maintaining the troops' security, the right to self-defense, and the removal of threats.
According to the official, this is a test of the LAF's sovereignty in the three pilot villages, as the only official entity authorized to possess weapons in the area.
It was further reported that the final process has not yet been determined, and that in the event of violations by Hezbollah, the IDF will act through a coordination mechanism mediated by the US government.
The source added that the pilot program will be accompanied by an American oversight mechanism aimed at advancing the disarmament of Hezbollah from its illegal weapons, and that Israel will continue to hold the security zone for as long as necessary to protect northern communities and maintain freedom of action to remove threats.