The Lebanese army said Tuesday its troops have begun deploying in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area. The statement confirms earlier reports and video footage of the deployment, which is part of the phased withdrawal agreement.
The Lebanese army officially confirmed Tuesday morning that its troops have deployed in the southern town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdrew from the area. The statement, issued later in the morning, formalizes a process that had been documented over the previous 24 hours: at 10:02 the army acknowledged it had begun deploying in southern pilot zones, and at 10:04 video circulated showing military vehicles entering the village. The confirmation adds an official voice to what had already been observed on the ground.
The Zioneer first reported the deployment Monday at 22:30 Jerusalem, citing a Lebanese security official who told Reuters that troops had begun moving into Zoutar al-Gharbiya. In a series of reports published at that time, the desk also covered engineering teams scanning the streets for explosive remnants, the army warning civilians to stay away, and footage of vehicles entering the village. Sourcing evolved from a single official to multiple newsrooms — Al Jazeera, N12, and Sapir Lipkin — and was ultimately corroborated by visual evidence.
The deployment is part of a phased withdrawal agreement under which the Lebanese army takes over areas vacated by the IDF. As The Zioneer reported on July 9, the army was expected to enter these zones in the coming days. The US State Department had previously announced the pilot-zone framework, and satellite imagery published Monday showed extensive structural damage in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh. The army has also deployed in other southern villages, including Debbin on June 4, and has repeatedly warned civilians away from border areas due to security uncertainty.
The official statement did not specify a timeline for further deployment or outline the next phases of the withdrawal. The army continues to call on civilians not to approach the area until the security situation stabilizes.
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