BEIRUT: Israeli troops infiltrated a Lebanese village placed under the control of Lebanon's army as part of a June agreement, building an earthen barrier there overnight, state media and the local mayor said. A correspondent saw the barrier, situated at the village's eastern entrance and blocking the road. The local authorities said it was unclear if any Israeli forces remained in the area.
"An Israeli occupation army force advanced into the village of Zawtar al Gharbiya shortly after midnight... and erected a new earthen barrier near the town square," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. Zawtar al Gharbiya was one of two designated "pilot zones" where the Lebanese army was to take over as part of a US-sponsored framework agreement signed with Israel. Confirming the incident, a Lebanese military source said that it was a violation of the framework agreement.
Lebanon and Israel had just completed their seventh round of direct negotiations in Rome on Thursday, with a Lebanese source saying that the Israelis refused to discuss withdrawing from more areas before making sure Beirut's military had full control over the pilot zones. The NNA on Saturday reported artillery shelling in southern Lebanon. — AFP
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