Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, from which Israeli troops were withdrawn on Tuesday, and raised the republic’s flag there in the square in front of the town hall.

“The Lebanese government considers it a national task to bring the occupation to an end,” he said. “We are only at the beginning of the road, but we are determined and will mobilize all diplomatic efforts to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all of our territory.”

The prime minister said that the state had begun allocating resources to help facilitate the return of civilians. “The Lebanese army is here to protect citizens and, alongside its deployment, is clearing roads and rubble, which will allow the population to return safely and with dignity to their homes and villages,” he stressed.

According to Salam, the people’s return to their land “symbolizes Lebanon’s unity and the restoration of sovereignty.”

Under the agreement with Israel, Zawtar al-Gharbiya has become the center of the first “pilot zone” in the south of the country. Lebanese army units stationed there are expected to demonstrate their ability to maintain stability in the region and begin disarming supporters of the Shiite organization Hezbollah.