The IDF announced Monday that the 'Safe Zone' pilot program has begun in southern Lebanon, in cooperation with the U.S. military and the Lebanese Armed Forces. Teams from the three militaries are conducting coordination and planning for implementing the agreement. The IDF warned it will respond forcefully to any violation of the accord.
The IDF officially launched the 'Safe Zone' pilot program in southern Lebanon on Monday, in cooperation with the U.S. military and the Lebanese Armed Forces, the military announced. The trilateral coordination teams are working on implementing the Israel-Lebanon withdrawal agreement. The IDF warned it will respond forcefully to any violation.
The announcement follows the IDF's trial pullout from the buffer zone earlier today (Tuesday) at 13:09 Jerusalem, as reported by The Zioneer. That trial pullout was the first operational test of the agreement. The 'Safe Zone' pilot represents the next phase, involving joint planning.
The development comes after a series of withdrawals and deployments over the past days. On Monday evening, The Zioneer reported that the IDF had withdrawn from the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and the Lebanese army had deployed in several villages, including R'ndouriya, Froun, and Tsarifa. The withdrawal was part of the phased implementation of the ceasefire agreement, with two unresolved issues: the supervisory mechanism and criteria for defining areas cleared of Hezbollah weapons, as reported by journalist Nir Dvori (N12).
The U.S. has played a coordinating role throughout, as The Zioneer reported on Friday (July 17) that the U.S. was expected to announce the pilot's official start, and earlier on July 10, the U.S. Ambassador said the implementation phase had begun. The defense establishment assessed that Hezbollah would oppose forced disarmament, as reported on July 17.
The IDF did not provide a timeline for the pilot's expansion or the full withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The program is expected to be implemented in stages, with the U.S. coordinating. It remains unclear how Hezbollah's presence will be addressed in areas not covered by the pilot.
21 developments
- DevelopingIDF begins pilot withdrawal from southern Lebanon zones
- DevelopingIDF launches pilot program in Lebanon after agreement signing, reserve general urges tough stance
- StrongIDF publishes official map of southern Lebanon security zone, says forces deployed 10 km inside
- StrongUS to announce Lebanon pilot zone Sunday as Lebanese army deploys in first area
Source and signal
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