Story perspectives

US-Brokered Pilot Zone Sparks Israeli Pullout, Lebanese Entry in Zawtar

7/22/2026

Center

Lebanese Troops Enter

On July 21 2026, Lebanese troops entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh as Israeli forces withdrew under a U.S.-brokered pilot-zone agreement.
Israeli forces fired warning shots when Lebanese troops moved 150 metres beyond the agreed security-zone line.
The U.S. State Department said pilot-zone operations began in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, Froun and Srifa.
Israeli officials said they would redeploy forces in one pilot area to aid Lebanon’s army.
President Donald Trump met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington.

Left

Lebanese Troops Enter

On July 21 2026, Lebanese Armed Forces troops entered the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces withdrew under a U.S.-brokered pilot-zone agreement.
Israeli forces denied a French humanitarian aid convoy organized by L’oeuvre d’Orient entry to nearby Christian villages.
Lebanese engineers began demining and detonating unexploded ordnance, reporting extensive road and building damage.
Mayor Abed Ezzeddin said more than half of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh was destroyed, rendering it uninhabitable.

History

Historical Context

The 2006 Lebanon War ended with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, creating a UN-monitored buffer and expanding UNIFIL to 15,000 troops. After the 27 November 2024 cease-fire, UNIFIL recorded more than 15,400 Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty. In March 2026, the Lebanese Armed Forces entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh as Israeli forces withdrew, echoing the 2006 buffer-zone model.

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Lebanese Troops Enter

On July 21 2026, Lebanese troops entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh as Israeli forces withdrew under a U.S.-brokered pilot-zone agreement.
Israeli forces fired warning shots when Lebanese troops moved 150 metres beyond the agreed security-zone line.
The U.S. State Department said pilot-zone operations began in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, Froun and Srifa.
Israeli officials said they would redeploy forces in one pilot area to aid Lebanon’s army.
President Donald Trump met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington.

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