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Israel’s ‘pilot zones’: Withdrawal on paper, continued occupation of south Lebanon

middleeasteye.net · 2h · first reportShare

Israel’s ‘pilot zones’: Withdrawal on paper, continued occupation of south Lebanon Submitted by Giovanna Vial on Wed, 08/12/2026 - 15:47 MEE visited two of the villages touted as models for Israel's withdrawal. Residents say Israeli troops were never there to begin with A Lebanese soldier stands guard at the entrance to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, one of three southern Lebanese villages designated as a “pilot zone” under an Israel-Lebanon framework agreement (Giovanna Vial/MEE) Off At the entrance to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, a village in southern Lebanon , a Lebanese Army checkpoint marks the edge of what is now officially known as a "pilot zone". It is one of three villages - along with Froun and Srifa - designated as such under the framework agreement between Israel , the United States and Lebanon, signed in June 2026. On paper, the pilot zones, whose implementation began on 20 July, are meant to work as a formula: a gradual Israeli withdrawal, paired with a handover of sovereignty to the Leban