World

Lebanon army condemns Israeli attacks preventing deployment

Lebanon's army also accused Israeli soldiers of opening fire near army positions in Kfar Tibnit, Nabatieh Al Fawqa and Zawtar Al Garhbiya, which hinders the implementation of its missions

Published: 04:07 PM,Jul 26,2026 | EDITED : 08:07 PM,Jul 26,2026

Lebanese army soldiers patrol the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in southern Lebanon on July 26, 2026. Lebanon's army had on July 21 began deploying to Zawtar al-Gharbiya as part of a US-sponsored framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel last month. Under the deal, the army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese troops will subsequently deploy. (Photo by MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP) / Attention editors: AFP covers the war in the Middle East through its extensive regional network, including bureaus in Tehran, Jerusalem, and several neighboring countries. Since the start of the conflict, journalists have been working under increasingly restrictive conditions. Authorities in several countries have limited reporters' movements, photo and live video coverage from sensitive locations. Some governments and armed groups have banned images of missile or drone strikes and other security-related sites.
 
Lebanese army soldiers patrol the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in southern Lebanon on July 26, 2026. Lebanon's army had on July 21 began deploying to Zawtar al-Gharbiya as part of a US-sponsored framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel last month. Under the deal, the army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese troops will subsequently deploy. (Photo by MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP) / Attention editors: AFP covers the war in the Middle East through its extensive regional network, including bureaus in Tehran, Jerusalem, and several neighboring countries. Since the start of the conflict, journalists have been working under increasingly restrictive conditions. Authorities in several countries have limited reporters' movements, photo and live video coverage from sensitive locations. Some governments and armed groups have banned images of missile or drone strikes and other security-related sites.

BEIRUT: Lebanon's army on Sunday condemned ongoing Israeli military activities in the country's south that it said were preventing its full deployment under a framework deal reached with Israel last month. 'Israeli occupation forces continue their attacks and violations of current understandings and of international laws through the systematic destruction and bulldozing of homes, bombardment and sweeps with automatic weapons in several southern areas,' an army statement said. 'The continuation of these attacks obstructs the army's full deployment according to current agreements and prevents the return of residents to their villages and towns,' it added.
Under a US-sponsored agreement signed last month, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from 'pilot zones' where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy. The deal came more than three months after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East with rocket fire at Israel in support of Tehran, triggering major Israeli air strikes and a ground invasion that Lebanese authorities say have killed more than 4,300 people.
Lebanon's army also accused Israeli soldiers of 'opening fire near army positions in Kfar Tibnit, Nabatieh Al Fawqa and Zawtar Al Gharbiya, which hinders the implementation of its missions'. While violence has declined since the signing of a US-Iran memorandum last month on the regional conflict, and the Lebanon-Israel framework deal, Lebanon continues to report intermittent Israeli strikes and artillery shelling on the south, as well as the detonations of buildings in southern villages.
This week, Lebanon's army began deploying to Zawtar Al Gharbiya, one of the 'pilot zones' under the framework agreement, and in recent days local residents have begun checking on their homes there. Israeli forces were previously present on the outskirts of the village.
A correspondent on Sunday saw heavy damage and Lebanese soldiers in the streets as some residents inspected their homes. 'When I entered my home, I felt sadness. The destruction hurt me,' said resident Ihsan Yaghi, surrounded by walls blackened from fire and rooms strewn with debris and rubble. 'Our homes used to be filled with life,' she said, but vowed that 'we will rebuild.' 'We stand with the (Lebanese) army,' she said, adding that 'we want to feel safe. It's time for the state to take care of us; we're tired.'
The army statement said its soldiers 'continue to accompany the return of residents' to Zawtar Al Gharbiya. The military's deployment in the south is a key test for the government, with Hezbollah refusing to disarm. In a meeting this week with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasised 'the urgent need for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory'. — AFP