The IDF withdrew this morning from Zautar al-Gharbiya, a village within the Yellow Line in southern Lebanon — the first such withdrawal under the ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese Armed Forces entered Randouriya over the weekend and deployed in Perun and Seripa today. Journalist Nir Dvori (N12) reports that two issues remain unresolved: the supervisory body and the criteria for defining a 'clean area' free of Hezbollah weapons.
The Lebanese Armed Forces expanded their deployment in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, entering the villages of Perun and Seripa, after having moved into Randouriya over the weekend, according to journalist Nir Dvori (N12). The moves come as the IDF completed its first withdrawal from the village of Zautar al-Gharbiya under the ceasefire agreement — a step that was reported and confirmed in multiple stages by The Zioneer on Monday evening.
On Monday Jul 20 at 22:30 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the Lebanese army had begun deploying in Zautar al-Gharbiya after the IDF withdrew as part of a pilot phase. Subsequent updates confirmed the arrival of military vehicles, engineering teams scanning for explosives, and a warning to civilians to stay away until the security situation stabilizes. The deployment was the first concrete implementation of the phased withdrawal framework.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, the framework for the IDF withdrawal and LAF deployment has been a focus of diplomatic efforts. On Jun 26, a senior Israeli official delineated two zones for Lebanese army entry, and on Jul 5 the IDF was expected to hand over two areas. The agreement also demands that Hezbollah be prevented from rebuilding its military infrastructure, a point reiterated by Hezbollah's chief in late June.
Two key issues remain unresolved, Dvori noted: the identity of the supervisory body that will verify the LAF's effectiveness in clearing Hezbollah weapons, and the criteria for defining a 'clean area.' Both are still under negotiation.
22 developments
- DevelopingIDF begins pilot withdrawal from southern Lebanon zones
- DevelopingIDF to hand over two areas in southern Lebanon to Lebanese army under agreement
- DevelopingPilot IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon delayed pending trilateral oversight mechanism
- DevelopingIsrael and Lebanon sign partial IDF withdrawal deal
Source and signal
- Internal intake