Lebanese army enters southern town after Israeli withdrawal in test of ceasefire deal

Beirut: The Lebanese army moved into a southern border town on Tuesday after Israeli forces pulled out, marking the first major test of a fragile US-brokered ceasefire agreement. The deployment is part of a carefully calibrated 'pilot zone' initiative aimed at restoring state authority in areas long held by Hezbollah.

Trucks carrying soldiers and armoured vehicles rolled into the town under the watch of UN peacekeepers. Residents, many of whom fled months of cross-border fire, gathered along the roadside, some cheering, others silent, watching the troops take position.

Pilot zone strategy

The operation is limited in scope. The army described the zone as a testing ground for broader redeployment. If successful, similar deployments would follow in other areas along the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated boundary between Lebanon and Israel.

A Lebanese military spokesperson said troops had begun clearing roads, checking for unexploded ordnance and setting up checkpoints. The goal is to reassert state control in a region where Hezbollah has operated freely for years.

Under the ceasefire deal, which took effect in late 2024, the Lebanese army is to become the only armed force south of the Litani River. Hezbollah has agreed to withdraw its fighters and heavy weapons from the area, though the group has not publicly confirmed the move.

PM calls for full withdrawal

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati visited a shattered village near the border on Monday. He walked through streets lined with collapsed buildings and overturned cars. In a statement, he called for a 'complete Israeli withdrawal' from all occupied Lebanese territory, including disputed points along the frontier.

Mikati said the government was committed to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war. The resolution calls for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, but has never been fully enforced.

'We want the state to be the only authority,' Mikati said. He did not set a timeline for the full withdrawal, but said negotiations were ongoing through US and French mediators.

Residents wait to return

Many displaced residents are eager to go back. 'Just want to go back,' one man told reporters near the border. His house, he said, was damaged but still standing. Others are less certain. The army has warned that large areas remain contaminated with landmines and booby traps left by both sides.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said it was coordinating with both armies to ensure the deployment proceeds without incident. A UNIFIL spokesperson said the peacekeepers were conducting patrols in the area to monitor the ceasefire.

Israel has said it will withdraw fully once the Lebanese army is able to secure the border. But officials in Tel Aviv have also warned that any violation of the ceasefire would trigger a swift response.

The next phase of the deal hinges on whether the army can hold the line in the pilot zone. If it falters, the fragile calm that has held for months could unravel quickly.