Israel maps first pullout amid deadly strikes in Southern Lebanon
Shafaq News- Beirut (Updated at 21:48)
Israel will withdraw from two “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, with the first pullout expected from the villages of Zawtar al-Gharbiya and Froun as part of the agreement signed in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday.
Froun municipal council said its town is not occupied and lies outside the Yellow Line —an Israeli-cleared demarcation inside southern Lebanon carved through extensive bulldozing, tree removal, and the opening of exposed ground running parallel to the border— rejecting its inclusion in the pilot zones,
The signed Lebanese-Israeli framework agreement outlined a phased Israeli pullout from southern Lebanon, conditioned on Hezbollah’s disarmament. Under the plan, implementation begins with two pilot zones —one south of the Litani River and another to its north— which will be transferred to the Lebanese army after armed groups are disarmed and their infrastructure fully dismantled, while Israeli forces remain in position during the process.
Read more: Lebanon's main Shia parties reject US-brokered framework
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, however, underlined that the army would not withdraw from southern Lebanon and would continue maintaining positions within the "security zone," including the Al-Shaqif area.
“No redeployment nor Israeli withdrawal before Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon,” he added, noting that Tel Aviv will preserve “freedom of action” to thwart any threat against its soldiers and residents of northern Israeli communities.
On the ground, Lebanese media reported six Israeli strikes on the town of Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa, which left one civilian dead and two others wounded. The country's Ministry of Health placed the overall toll from the Israeli offensive since March 2 at 4,230 fatalities and 12,179 wounded.
مراسل الجديد: غارة إسرائيلية على محيط بلدة النبطية الفوقا
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Israeli forces also fired three stun grenades toward the town of Baraachit in the Bint Jbeil District, while troops conducted sweeping operations in the direction of Boyout al-Siyyad in the Tyre District.
