Units of the Lebanese Army began deploying on Tuesday to the southern town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, a senior Lebanese security official said. The deployment is taking place under a US-mediated plan, according to Reuters.

The initiative calls for the Lebanese military to confiscate Hezbollah's weapons in designated areas of southern Lebanon while Israeli forces carry out a phased withdrawal. On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that implementation of the program—dubbed the "pilot zone"—had begun. Israel had not issued any additional comments by Tuesday.

Tuesday's handover marked the first practical implementation of the plan, which Beirut hopes will enable Lebanon to regain control over a strip of land approximately 10 kilometers deep along the border that remains under Israeli military control.

The area has suffered extensive destruction during the conflict, with dozens of villages razed and civilian infrastructure—including hospitals, power facilities, and pumping stations—destroyed. Tens of thousands of displaced residents have yet to return to their homes.

The Lebanese Army confirmed that its forces had begun deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, located in the Nabatieh district. Military officials again urged residents not to rush back until the security situation has fully stabilized and to follow army instructions for their own safety.

A senior Lebanese military official told Reuters that engineering units are clearing the area of unexploded ordnance, but warned that significant work remains before the town can be declared safe for civilians.

“Army engineering teams have entered Zawtar al-Gharbiya, and we are awaiting further instructions,” Mayor Abed Ezzeddine said. “We will notify residents as soon as the area is officially declared safe and comes under the army's full control.”

Ezzeddine described the scale of destruction as catastrophic, saying that more than half of the town has been destroyed, while most of the remaining buildings have sustained severe damage, leaving the town uninhabitable.

He also expressed doubts that residents would feel secure while Israeli forces remain stationed in the neighboring town of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, located only a five-minute walk away.