Beirut, Lebanon – The Lebanese Army Command announced Tuesday that Israeli forces opened fire in close proximity to Lebanese military units deploying in the southern town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya in Nabatieh Governorate. The military warned that the aggressive action directly hinders planned deployment steps and security operations across vacated areas.
Israeli Fire Near Deployment Forces
According to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Directorate of Orientation, military units and engineering regiments were conducting street clearance and unexploded ordnance sweeps in Zawtar al-Gharbiya when Israeli forces discharged live fire nearby. No casualties among Lebanese troops were reported.
The army statement emphasized that such incidents pose a direct threat to personnel safety and impede the execution of the phased deployment within designated “pilot zones” (comprising Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Froun, and Srifa), which are managed in coordination with the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L) under US-mediated international frameworks.
Obstacles to Southern Security Implementation
The incident occurred as the Lebanese army launched phase-one troop movements to re-establish state sovereignty in southern towns following the withdrawal of Israeli military vehicles. The army reiterated its call for local residents to refrain from returning to Zawtar al-Gharbiya until security sweeps are finalized and military clearance is officially issued.
Despite the operational disruption, the LAF reaffirmed its commitment to completing its sovereign mandate and field protocol tasks in southern Lebanon in alignment with established coordination mechanisms.
Israeli firing near deploying Lebanese troops creates a major operational obstacle in the designated pilot zones, testing the efficacy of international mediation frameworks tasked with securing stable troop deployments and restoring state authority in Southern Lebanon.
