Lebanese sources have published the first images of destruction in the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyya, where a pilot program for IDF withdrawal and Lebanese army deployment began earlier today. The reports also allege that Hezbollah operatives are entering the area disguised in Lebanese army uniforms, following the IDF's departure.
Lebanese sources published the first images of destruction in Zawtar al-Gharbiyya on Tuesday evening, hours after the IDF began a pilot withdrawal from the village under the ceasefire agreement. The photographs, circulated on Lebanese social media, show extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure. Accompanying reports allege that Hezbollah operatives are entering the area dressed in Lebanese army uniforms, exploiting the security vacuum left by the IDF's departure.
The development is the latest in a sequence of events spanning the past 24 hours. On Monday afternoon, The Zioneer reported that the Lebanese army had warned residents away from Zoutar al-Gharbiya and begun monitoring deployment (Mon 16:19 Jerusalem). Additional reports from the same day indicated that the army had entered the village, with video footage showing armored vehicles and civilians returning to the area. The pilot program, which began on Tuesday, was documented by N12 journalist Sapir Lipkin, who recorded the IDF exit and Lebanese army entry. The Zioneer reported at 15:25 that the pilot had begun. Lebanese civilians who entered the village after the withdrawal reported extensive destruction.
The Zioneer has previously reported on widespread destruction in southern Lebanon following Hezbollah's operations, as well as the IDF's targeted strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure. The current pilot program is a test of the Lebanese army's ability to prevent Hezbollah from reclaiming control of the border area after the IDF withdrawal.
The allegation of Hezbollah operatives infiltrating in Lebanese army uniforms is based on Lebanese sources and has not been independently verified. The IDF has not commented on the reports. The Lebanese army's capacity to enforce the ceasefire and prevent Hezbollah's return to the border area remains a key open question.
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