Israeli incursion into Lebanese pilot zone breaches framework agreement, officials say
The overnight infiltration of a Lebanese army-held village by Israeli forces has been described as a violation of the June framework agreement, casting doubt on the stability of the ceasefire and the pace of Israeli withdrawal.
Israeli troops infiltrated the Lebanese army-held village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya overnight, constructing an earthen roadblock near the town square, according to local authorities and state media. The incident, which occurred shortly after midnight, has been characterised by a Lebanese military source as a direct violation of the US-sponsored framework agreement signed in June, which governs the security transition in southern Lebanon.
The village is designated as one of two pilot zones under the accord, a framework that stipulates the deployment of the Lebanese army to assume security control while Israel gradually withdraws its forces. The agreement also requires Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, a condition that remains a point of significant contention, as the militant group rejects the deal and refuses to surrender its weapons.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that an Israeli occupation force advanced into the village and erected the barrier at the eastern entrance, approximately 100 metres from the town square. An AFP correspondent confirmed the presence of the earthen barrier blocking the road, though local authorities stated it was unclear whether Israeli forces remained in the area after the construction was completed.
The incursion occurs against a backdrop of fragile diplomatic progress and ongoing violence. Approximately 50 families have returned to Zawtar al-Gharbiya since the Lebanese army deployed there on 21 July. However, the stability of the pilot zone is under strain; the NNA reported artillery shelling in southern Lebanon on Saturday, and Israel continues intermittent strikes despite a ceasefire being in place since June.
Tensions were already high following the seventh round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Rome on Thursday. A Lebanese source indicated that Israeli delegates refused to discuss further withdrawals until Beirut’s military had established full control over the pilot zones. The ongoing conflict, which began with an Israeli invasion in March after Hezbollah entered the war on Iran’s side, has resulted in more than 4,300 deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
