Lebanese army deploys in southern town after Israeli withdrawal

Lebanese army troops began deploying in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh ​on Tuesday after Israeli forces withdrew from the area, a senior Lebanese security ‌official said, in line with a U.S.-brokered plan.
The plan foresees Lebanese army troops confiscating weapons from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group in parts of southern Lebanon and phased withdrawals of Israeli troops. The Israeli military ​said on Monday that the plan, dubbed the pilot zone programme, has begun. ​It had no immediate comment on Tuesday.

Tuesday's handover of territory is the ⁠first test of the plan, which Lebanon hopes will enable it to restore control ​over a strip of land about 10 km (6.2 miles) deep into the country that remains ​occupied by Israeli troops.
Dozens of villages have been razed in that area and public infrastructure has been destroyed, including hospitals, power stations and water pumps. Tens of thousands of Lebanese who call the area ​home have been unable to return.
The latest round of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel ​erupted at the start of March, two days after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. ‌Hezbollah said ⁠its actions were in support of Tehran.

The Lebanese army said its units began deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in the Nabatieh region on Tuesday.
The army renewed a call for residents not to enter the town until the security situation stabilises and to follow instructions from deployed ​military units for their ​own safety.