The Israeli military appeared to confirm on Monday that its troops had pulled back from three villages in southern Lebanon as part of a U.S.-brokered pilot program between Israel and Lebanon.
In an official statement, the Israel Defense Forces announced that the “Safe Zone” pilot program had begun. The initiative forms part of an agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon at the U.S. State Department in late June.
Under the agreement, Israeli troops are expected to leave selected areas of southern Lebanon, allowing the Lebanese Armed Forces to take control and maintain security.
United States Confirms Launch of Pilot Zones
The U.S. State Department also announced the launch of the first pilot zones in Lebanon. Its statement indicated that Israeli forces had either withdrawn or were preparing to withdraw from three southern Lebanese villages.
An Israeli military official said the IDF would modify its deployment in one of the pilot areas to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to complete their assigned mission.
However, the official did not identify the specific area or directly describe the military movement as a withdrawal.
Lebanese Army Expected to Control Designated Areas
According to the Israeli official, the pilot program will test whether the Lebanese Armed Forces can exercise full sovereignty over the three villages.
The Lebanese military is expected to become the only officially recognized armed authority within these designated areas.
The United States will reportedly oversee a strict monitoring system to ensure that the terms of the pilot program are followed.
Agreement Calls for Hezbollah’s Disarmament
The Israel-Lebanon agreement also requires non-state armed groups operating inside the pilot zones to surrender their weapons. This condition primarily refers to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group with a major presence in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected demands to disarm.
Israel has maintained that a complete military withdrawal from Lebanon will only happen after it is confident that Hezbollah no longer presents a security threat to Israeli territory.
Israel Warns Against Violations
Despite the apparent troop withdrawal, the Israeli military warned that it would respond forcefully to any breach of the agreement.
The success of the pilot program will therefore depend on the Lebanese army’s ability to secure the villages, prevent armed groups from operating there and comply with the monitoring process led by the United States.
The launch of the pilot zones represents a cautious step toward reducing military tensions between Israel and Lebanon. However, Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s security concerns remain significant obstacles to a broader Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.