Israel began transferring areas of Southern Lebanon: how will the ‘pilot zones’ work without Hezbollah’s weapons

On July 21, 2026, the Lebanese army began deployment in the settlement of Zuwtar al-Gharbiya in the Nabatieh district after the withdrawal of Israeli units from the transferred area.

This became the first practical test of the American plan, according to which Israel must gradually change the location of its forces and transfer certain territories under the control of the official Lebanese army. In turn, the Lebanese military is required not just to establish checkpoints, but to detect and seize Hezbollah’s weapons, eliminate its tunnels, warehouses, positions, and other military infrastructure.

The project was named the ‘pilot zones’ or ‘safe zones’ program. However, it is not about humanitarian territories where residents can immediately return. It is primarily an experimental scheme for transferring control: the IDF withdraws or changes the location of units, the Lebanese army enters the territory, conducts inspections, and must prove that it can remain there as the only official armed force.

Where the project implementation began

The US State Department officially announced the launch of the first operations on July 20, 2026. The statement named three settlements in southern Lebanon:

• Froun in the Bint Jbeil district;
• Srifa in the Tyre district;
• Zuwtar al-Gharbiya in the Nabatieh district.

The Lebanese army reported that its units had already carried out tasks in Froun and Srifa. Additional coordination was required in Zuwtar al-Gharbiya, as part of the adjacent territory remained under Israeli control.

On the morning of July 21, Lebanese units began entering Zuwtar after the relocation of Israeli forces. A senior Lebanese security official described the event as the withdrawal of Israeli units from the transferred area. The IDF had previously confirmed that it was adjusting the deployment of forces to allow the Lebanese army to begin its tasks.

However, residents of Zuwtar have not yet been allowed to freely return home. The Lebanese army urged citizens not to enter the settlement until the situation stabilizes and to follow military instructions.

The mayor of Zuwtar al-Gharbiya, Abed Ezzeldin, told the Associated Press that local authorities are awaiting official confirmation of safety. According to him, many houses are destroyed, roads are damaged by bulldozers, and the infrastructure is in a state that does not yet allow people to stay in the settlement permanently.

Why there is talk of two zones and three settlements

The framework agreement between Israel, Lebanon, and the USA dated June 26, 2026 mentioned the creation of two initial pilot zones. However, the American statement on July 20 named three settlements.

This is not necessarily a contradiction. A pilot zone may include several villages or separate areas around them. However, the exact boundaries of the two areas, their size, and the distribution of the three settlements between the zones have not yet been publicly disclosed.

Therefore, it is more accurate to say that the first operations began in the three settlements included in the initial pilot areas project, rather than claiming that each village is a separate zone.

How the territory transfer scheme should work

The American plan provides for several sequential stages.

First, Israeli and Lebanese military, with US mediation, agree on the boundaries of a specific area, movement routes, and the timing of force relocation.

After that, the IDF withdraws from the agreed territory or changes the deployment of units so that the Lebanese army can enter the area.

The next stage is the most complex. The Lebanese military must:

• inspect buildings, roads, and agricultural areas;
• detect weapons and ammunition depots;
• seize missiles, launchers, and other weapons;
• identify tunnels, command posts, and observation positions;
• eliminate Hezbollah’s military infrastructure;
• prevent the return of armed units;
• ensure the permanent presence of state forces.

The American side calls this a verifiable territory clearance. Its result should confirm that Hezbollah can no longer use local settlements for storing weapons, deploying militants, or preparing attacks.

An Israeli military representative stated that the pilot project should test the ability of the Lebanese Armed Forces to exercise sovereign powers and be the only official structure authorized to bear arms in the three participating settlements.

Who coordinates the actions of the three armies

To implement the agreements, a Military Coordination Group for Lebanon — MCG4L was created.

This is a trilateral mechanism involving representatives from the USA, Israel, and Lebanon. The American side acts as a mediator and helps prevent situations where the movement of one army might be mistakenly perceived by the other side as preparation for an attack.

The group must coordinate:

• the relocation of Israeli troops;
• the entry of Lebanese units;
• the inspection of transferred areas;
• the procedure for checking discovered objects;
• reports of possible violations;
• the subsequent expansion of the pilot program.

The framework agreement provides for US participation in monitoring compliance, but a final and fully public mechanism for independent verification has not yet been presented. In particular, it remains unclear who will make the final conclusion that a specific area is indeed cleared of Hezbollah’s weapons and infrastructure.

For Israel, this issue is of fundamental importance. Without confirmed verification, the Lebanese army may formally be present in the area, while hidden depots, tunnels, or armed groups remain.

The June 26 agreement: what Israel and Lebanon signed

The basis of the pilot project was the framework agreement signed on June 26, 2026, in Washington by representatives of Israel, Lebanon, and the USA.

The document provides for the gradual restoration of control by the official authorities of Lebanon over the entire territory of the country, the disarmament of non-state military formations, and the subsequent withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The agreement also enshrines the parties’ intentions to continue negotiations, recognize the right of the two states to exist safely, and move towards a formal cessation of the state of war. Israel and Lebanon do not have diplomatic relations and formally remain states in conflict.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated after signing the document that the scheme creates a process for restoring Lebanese sovereignty, disarming Hezbollah, and dismantling its infrastructure.

Simultaneously, Washington announced the allocation of 100 million dollars in urgent humanitarian aid in coordination with the UN and more than 30 million dollars to strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese army within existing American programs.

However, the document does not provide for the automatic and immediate withdrawal of all Israeli troops. Israel linked the complete withdrawal to the elimination of the threat from Hezbollah and the restoration of real control by the Lebanese state.

Talks in Rome on July 14–15

The practical scheme for launching pilot areas was agreed upon during the sixth round of direct negotiations between representatives of Israel and Lebanon.

The meetings took place on July 14 and 15, 2026 at the US embassy in Rome. The delegations worked at the ambassadorial level with American mediation.

The American representative described the two-day negotiations as productive and positive. The parties agreed on the structure and main rules for launching the pilot process, after which the negotiations were to move into the technical phase.

Already five days later, on July 20, the USA announced the start of operations in Froun, Srifa, and Zuwtar al-Gharbiya. Thus, less than a week passed between the completion of the Rome round and the first practical change on the ground.

Israel is not yet leaving the entire buffer zone

The launch of the pilot program does not mean the complete withdrawal of the IDF from southern Lebanon.

According to Reuters, Israeli troops control a strip approximately up to ten kilometers deep along a significant part of the border. Israel calls it a security zone or buffer zone and explains the maintenance of a military presence as necessary to protect northern settlements from Hezbollah’s rocket, anti-tank, and ground attacks.

The Lebanese side demands the start of a full withdrawal of Israeli units and the restoration of Beirut’s control over the entire territory of the country.

Israel responds that further reduction of the military presence will depend on the actions of the Lebanese army. If it indeed confiscates weapons, dismantles Hezbollah’s infrastructure, and holds the territory, the pilot mechanism may be extended to other areas.

If armed structures return or continue to operate covertly, Israel will be able to claim that the conditions of the agreement have not been met.

The IDF also retains the right to self-defense and warns that it will respond harshly to violations, attempts by militants to infiltrate, restore military facilities, or return weapons to the transferred areas.

That is why NAnews — Israel News

The main question is whether the Lebanese army is ready to seize weapons

Setting up checkpoints and patrolling villages alone will not prove the success of the project.

The real test will begin when Lebanese units discover an active Hezbollah depot, rocket launcher, underground facility, or armed group.

The army will have to decide: to limit itself to recording the discovered object, negotiate its voluntary transfer, or use force to confiscate weapons.

Israeli officials openly express doubts about the Lebanese state’s ability to fully disarm Hezbollah. The group has been creating a parallel military system for decades and has political influence, social infrastructure, and armed supporters.

An additional problem lies in the composition of the Lebanese army itself. It is formed from representatives of different religious communities in the country and must maintain internal unity. A forceful confrontation with Hezbollah could cause a split within the state and new internal conflict.

Hezbollah rejects disarmament

Hezbollah did not participate in signing the framework agreement and does not consider itself bound by its terms.

Representatives of the organization opposed direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel and refused to support the demand for full disarmament.

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah stated that an attempt by the authorities to implement the agreement by force could lead the country to civil war. According to him, the organization intends to oppose measures aimed at seizing its weapons.

This makes the pilot territories a test not only of the military effectiveness of the Lebanese army but also of the political stability of President Joseph Aoun.

Beirut needs to simultaneously achieve the withdrawal of Israeli forces, avoid internal armed conflict, and prove to the USA that the state is indeed capable of restoring a monopoly on weapons.

The new war began on March 2

The current project emerged after another major escalation on the Israeli-Lebanese front.

On March 2, 2026, Hezbollah began shelling Israel, stating that it was acting in support of Iran following American and Israeli strikes. Israel responded with a large-scale air and ground operation in Lebanon.

According to Lebanese authorities, more than four thousand people were killed as a result of the fighting. The Associated Press also reported about 1.2 million displaced residents.

The fighting led to the destruction of dozens of settlements, roads, hospitals, power plants, water supply systems, and other infrastructure. A significant portion of the residents of border areas cannot return home even after the cessation of active clashes.

Therefore, the restoration of pilot areas becomes part of the American plan. International funding should only be provided after the territories are cleared of weapons and transferred under the sustainable control of state forces.

Washington hopes that the prospect of residents returning and homes being rebuilt will create additional pressure on Hezbollah: if the organization attempts to return weapons, it risks disrupting funding and reconstruction efforts.

Joseph Aoun’s visit to Washington

The deployment of the Lebanese army in Zuwtar al-Gharbiya began on July 21, the day of the planned meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US President Donald Trump.

The talks at the White House are to conclude Aoun’s four-day visit to Washington. This is the first reception of a Lebanese president at the White House in almost twenty years and Aoun’s first personal meeting with Trump.

Before this, the Lebanese president met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, representatives of the American administration, members of Congress, and experts from research centers.

According to Reuters, Aoun intends to present Trump with a written plan for transferring control of Hezbollah’s vast arsenal to the state. At the same time, he hopes to achieve American pressure on Israel to continue the withdrawal of troops.

The Lebanese president is also interested in additional assistance for the national army and international funding for the reconstruction of destroyed areas.

For Aoun, the sequence should look as follows: Israel withdraws from the agreed area, the Lebanese army establishes control, the territory is restored, residents return, after which the process spreads to the next areas.

The Israeli side proposes the opposite political logic: first, the Lebanese army must prove that it can eliminate Hezbollah’s armed presence, and only then will Israel agree to new stages of withdrawal.

What will show the success or failure of the pilot project

The first results of the program cannot be assessed solely by photographs of Lebanese soldiers at checkpoints.

Three circumstances will testify to real success.

First — confirmed seizure of weapons and dismantling of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.

Second — the ability of the Lebanese army to prevent the return of armed units after the IDF’s departure.

Third — Israel’s decision to transfer the next territories after receiving the verification results.

If these conditions are met, the pilot areas may become a model for the gradual return of all southern Lebanon under state control and a basis for further negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.

If the army limits itself to symbolic presence and Hezbollah retains hidden infrastructure, Israel will have an argument for maintaining the buffer zone and continuing military operations.

NAnews — Israel News notes that July 21 was only the first limited step. It is not yet the complete disarmament of Hezbollah, the final withdrawal of the IDF, or a peace agreement.

However, for the first time since the signing of the document on June 26, the political scheme has moved from diplomatic statements to a practical phase: Israeli forces have changed their deployment, the Lebanese army has entered the transferred territory, and the further development of the process will now depend on what the military discovers in the pilot areas and whether Beirut decides to actually seize weapons.