Israeli forces open fire near Lebanese army forces deploying in southern Lebanon, military says

A Lebanese military statement said that army units came under fire while carrying out a deployment operation in the town.

It said the attack “could hinder the implementation of deployment steps in the pilot zones” being carried out through coordination with the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L).

No casualties were immediately reported.

Earlier Tuesday, the Lebanese army said that it had begun deploying forces in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh as part of the first phase of the framework agreement signed with Israel last month.

The army said the deployment was part of ongoing field measures in southern Lebanon and urged residents to avoid traveling to the town until the security situation stabilizes and to follow the instructions of deployed troops.

According to an Anadolu reporter, the army’s engineering regiment entered the town and began field surveys of streets to detect explosives and remnants left by the Israeli army, ahead of the full deployment of Lebanese forces.

The deployment comes after the Israeli army and its vehicles withdrew from the town, local sources said.

The US State Department announced on Monday the start of pilot zone operations in the Lebanese villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar Al-Gharbiya under the framework agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv.

The agreement provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory, but it does not include a timetable for the withdrawal. Instead, it links its completion to the Lebanese army assuming full security responsibility in areas vacated by Israeli forces and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.

According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed 4,328 people and injured 12,227 others since March 2.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the previous war between October 2023 and November 2024.