Lebanese Army Says Israeli Strikes Hamper Southern Deployment

BEIRUT- Lebanon’s army on Sunday accused Israel of continuing military operations in the country’s south that it said are obstructing the full deployment of Lebanese forces under a US-sponsored framework agreement reached last month, as residents slowly returned to heavily damaged border communities.

In a statement, the Lebanese military said Israeli forces had continued attacks and other actions that violate the current understandings between the two sides and international law. It said the ongoing operations were preventing the army from completing its deployment and delaying the safe return of civilians to their homes.

The army accused Israeli forces of carrying out the systematic destruction and bulldozing of homes, shelling populated areas and conducting sweeps with automatic weapons in several parts of southern Lebanon. It also said Israeli troops had opened fire near Lebanese army positions in Kfar Tibnit, Nabatieh Al-Fawqa and Zawtar Al-Gharbiya, hindering the military’s assigned missions.

The accusations come under a US-backed agreement signed last month that provides for the Lebanese army to deploy into designated pilot zones after Israeli forces withdraw, while Lebanese authorities work to disarm Hezbollah. The arrangement was reached more than three months after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel in support of Tehran, prompting extensive Israeli air strikes and a ground offensive in Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities have previously said the conflict killed more than 4,300 people in the country.

Although violence has eased since the signing of a US-Iran memorandum on the wider regional conflict and the subsequent Lebanon-Israel framework agreement, Lebanese officials continue to report intermittent Israeli air strikes, artillery fire and controlled demolitions in southern villages.

Earlier this week, the Lebanese army began deploying to Zawtar Al-Gharbiya, one of the pilot zones identified under the agreement. Residents have gradually begun returning to inspect homes after Israeli forces withdrew from the outskirts of the village.

An AFP correspondent in the area reported widespread destruction, with Lebanese soldiers patrolling streets lined with damaged buildings as residents assessed the extent of the devastation.

Resident Ihsan Yaghi said she was overcome with sadness after entering her damaged home, describing walls blackened by fire and rooms filled with rubble. Despite the destruction, she said she remained determined to rebuild and expressed support for the Lebanese army’s deployment, adding that residents wanted security restored and hoped the state would provide assistance.

The Lebanese military said its forces would continue accompanying civilians returning to Zawtar Al-Gharbiya and other affected areas as deployment efforts continue.

The army’s expansion into southern Lebanon is regarded as a key test for the Lebanese government, particularly as Hezbollah has continued to reject calls to surrender its weapons under the terms of the current framework.

During a meeting at the White House earlier this week with US President Donald Trump, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated the need for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, according to the Lebanese presidency.

The implementation of the agreement remains dependent on both sides carrying out their respective commitments, while efforts continue to stabilise southern Lebanon following months of cross-border fighting.