The Lebanese army announced Monday it is coordinating with a special military monitoring group to begin deployment in the town of Zoutar al-Gharbiya (western Zoutar) following Israel's withdrawal, and called on residents not to approach the area. Military units continue operations in the southern towns of Fron and Tsarifa, according to the statement.
On Monday evening, the Lebanese army warned residents of Zoutar al-Gharbiya (western Zoutar) to stay away from the area following an Israeli withdrawal, and announced it is coordinating with a special military monitoring group to begin deployment in the town. The warning comes hours after a series of rapid developments in the pilot withdrawal process, all reported Monday afternoon at 16:19 Jerusalem.
The day's events began with a report from Channel 14 that the Lebanese army would deploy in areas cleared by the IDF. Shortly after, the IDF redeployed from one of two pilot zones in southern Lebanon. The United States then confirmed the Lebanese army deployment to pilot zones, and later stated that the IDF withdrawal from those zones was already underway. Israeli officials subsequently told N12 that the withdrawal from pilot areas would take place on Tuesday. The last report before the evening warning stated that the Lebanese army would enter villages on Tuesday as part of the pilot agreement. The corroboration of the process evolved from a single source (Channel 14) to official US confirmation and multiple Israeli official statements.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the sensitivity of the area: on June 15, the Lebanese army warned residents to slow their return to border villages due to Israeli aerial surveillance, and earlier that day, Israeli fire targeted Zoutar. The IDF began a pilot withdrawal from southern Lebanon zones on June 28, as The Zioneer reported.
It remains unclear whether the Lebanese army has already entered Zoutar al-Gharbiya, and no timeline for the broader deployment has been provided. The warning to residents suggests the area may still contain unexploded ordnance or be subject to ongoing military activity.
7 developments
- StrongLebanese army evacuates civilians from border villages, citing no Israeli withdrawal
- StrongLebanese army calls on residents to slow return to southern border towns, citing Israeli aerial surveillance
- DevelopingLebanese army begins patrols, checkpoints in five villages near Israeli-controlled border
- StrongLebanese PM says IDF will withdraw from Zoutar and additional villages within days
Source and signal
- Internal intake