📍 LEBANESE ARMY DEPLOYS FOLLOWING IDF REPOSITIONING: The Lebanese Armed Forces began deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiya in southern Lebanon after Israeli forces withdrew from the village. The army urged residents not to return until the security situation stabilizes, while engineering forces survey the streets and remove explosive devices and unexploded ordnance.
The IDF described the move as a repositioning in one of the pilot areas intended to allow the Lebanese army to carry out its mission while preserving the security of Israeli forces, Israel’s right to self-defense, and the removal of threats.
The deployment constitutes a test of Lebanese sovereignty in three pilot villages, where the Lebanese army is intended to be the only official entity authorized to possess weapons. The final process has not yet been decided.
An Israeli official told N12: “We will only leave the territory we have seized if Hezbollah is not a factor in the entire country”
The official emphasized that Israel retains “the freedom to respond to any threat that arises” and is working to secure international recognition for its continued control of seized territory while border threats persist.
The Lebanese Army Command said military units continue missions in Frun in the Bint Jbeil district and Srifa in the Tyre district. It is coordinating with the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon to begin deployment in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, in the Nabatieh district, following the Israeli withdrawal.
The army urged civilians not to enter the village and to follow military instructions. Al-Jadeed reported that the Lebanese army established a position in the Al-Sawan area at the town entrance.
The extent of the deployment will be determined after the Israeli withdrawal is completed. Incoming Lebanese units will be accompanied by an Engineering Regiment force conducting a field survey and removing explosives.
A senior American official described implementation of the first pilot areas as “real progress on the ground.”
The official said the Lebanese Armed Forces will be responsible for clearing the areas of weapons and Hezbollah infrastructure, conducting verified clearance operations, and controlling the communities to prevent Hezbollah from using them as hideouts for attacks.
“We expect all sides to respect this process”
“Any attempt by Hezbollah to disrupt the process, to infiltrate these areas or to rearm them, will seriously harm the prospects for reconstruction and peace, as well as the interests of the Lebanese people”
The official said the initiative provides the Lebanese state with an opportunity to begin “regaining real control over areas that were controlled by Hezbollah for years.”
🔸 AOUN PREPARES WRITTEN PLAN FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun will meet President Trump at the White House in the first visit by a Lebanese head of state in nearly two decades, Reuters reports. Talks will focus on securing Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and disarming Hezbollah.
Aoun is expected to present a written proposal establishing the Lebanese state’s exclusive control over weapons. Beirut is urging Washington to press Israel to implement the June 26 U.S.-brokered agreement, which links a phased Israeli withdrawal to the complete disarmament of non-state armed groups.
Following Aoun’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lebanese reports said he will argue that the pilot areas must follow Lebanon’s framework, beginning with an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory rather than from areas already controlled by the Lebanese army.
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