Lebanon’s prime minister visits devastated border town as Israeli withdrawal begins
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Lebanon’s prime minister visited the southern town on Wednesday as the implementation of a Lebanese-Israeli accord brokered by Washington began, following months of war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The latest conflict began on March 2, when a Lebanese militant group fired rockets at Israel in response to a US-Israeli attack that triggered the Iran war. Israel then launched an air campaign and ground attack on Lebanon, killing more than 4,000 people and displacing an estimated 1.2 million others.
The two sides, technically at war nearly 80 years after Israel’s founding, began the rare direct talks that were encouraged by Washington.
They reached an agreement in late June, setting out a plan for the deployment of the Lebanese army to southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah had military power and influence, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops, while disarming the terrorist group.
Hezbollah has rejected talks and calls for a disarmament.
Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold their next round of US talks on August 4 in Italy, a Lebanese official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The government promises to rebuild
Nawaf Salam’s visit to Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh came a day after the historic meeting of President Joseph Aoun of the White House with US President Donald Trump, who made an unexpected announcement, allowing American carriers to resume direct flights to Lebanon for the first time in 40 years and more.
Salam, along with Lebanon’s defense minister and senior military officials, raised a Lebanese flag near a destroyed building in the city, vowing that the government would begin rebuilding homes and destroyed infrastructure.
“We have stressed from the beginning that our goal is the complete withdrawal of Israel from all of our territory,” Salam said. “What we are seeing today is just the beginning, but we are still determined and strong, and we will continue to combine all political and rhetorical efforts to achieve a full withdrawal from all parts of Lebanon.”
The army did not immediately allow the civilians to enter as they removed the unexploded ordnance. Residents tried to storm this barrier, wanting to enter the village and look for their homes and lands.
Others expressed frustration, downplaying the military deployment.
“The prime minister should have informed the people that he is going to Zawtar and he should have accompanied these people who have been waiting for two days,” said Zaynab Ismail, a resident.
Lebanon and Israel have agreed to establish two “checkpoints” in a series of villages in southern Lebanon where the Israeli army will hand over power to the Lebanese army after eliminating any Hezbollah presence in the areas.
Israel has not occupied any of the territories newly allocated in the recent war, although it has struck them and carried out ground operations. The Lebanese army has a limited presence there.
Trump, in his meeting with Aoun, did not mention the “pilot areas” entering their implementation phase, but promised to support Lebanon without going into details.
Aoun and the Lebanese government have called on the international community to invest in the Mediterranean country and its military to help rebuild infrastructure and military capabilities.
Lebanon’s top political leadership has criticized the group for dragging the country into another war, but they have also criticized Israel for its bombings and ground attacks.
Hezbollah criticized the government for holding direct talks with Israel and rejected the deal, but the terrorist group did not try to destroy it using the military. Its leadership believes that Israel cannot be forced to withdraw its troops through diplomatic means alone, and that Lebanon does not have the ability to provide significant leverage to Iran in negotiations.
