The Lebanese army said its troops had begun deploying to a “control group” in southern Lebanon following the withdrawal of Israeli forces under a U.S.-brokered agreement last month.
The military command said in a statement that troops entered the village of Jautar al-Gharbiyeh in Nabatieh region on Tuesday morning.
On Monday night, the Israeli military confirmed the start of plans for the test area. The plan would see Israeli forces withdraw from small portions of territory they occupied during the conflict with Hezbollah and the disarmament of the Iran-backed group.
This comes ahead of a meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Aoun is expected to urge President Trump to pressure Israel to withdraw from the rest of southern Lebanon and support the Lebanese army to take full control of areas held by Hezbollah.
The U.S. State Department announced Monday afternoon that “Operation Pilot Zone” had begun in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and two other Lebanese towns, Froun and Srifa, under the tripartite framework agreement between Israel, Lebanon and the United States.
It said this “milestone” was a direct result of discussions between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Rome last week.
Late Monday, Israeli military officials confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would “adjust troop posture in one of the test areas” to allow the Lebanese army to carry out its mission, while “protecting the safety of IDF soldiers and their right to self-defense and elimination of threats.”
“The purpose of the demonstration and agreement is to disarm the Hezbollah terrorist organization and eliminate illegal weapons,” the official said.
They also reiterated that the IDF would remain in the “security zone”, a 10km deep Lebanese-occupied territory that runs along the border, for “as long as necessary” to defend northern Israeli communities.
On Tuesday, the Lebanese Armed Forces Command said its troops had begun deploying to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh “based on ongoing communication with the Lebanese Military Coordination Group,” referring to the tripartite body created to support implementation of the framework.
The statement also urged Lebanese citizens “not to head to the town until the security situation is stable, and to follow the instructions of the troops deployed for their own safety.”
The Lebanese army said Monday that its troops were already carrying out missions in nearby Froun and Srifa after the U.S. announcement.
Israeli sources also told Haaretz newspaper that there were no Israeli troops in the village.
Lebanon was embroiled in a war between Israel, the United States and Iran after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2 in retaliation for an attack that killed Iran’s top leader.
Israel responded by bombing all of Lebanon and invading much of southern Lebanon.
More than 4,300 people have died in Lebanon, including about 800 children, women and health workers, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Israeli authorities said the clashes left 37 Israeli soldiers and four civilians dead on both sides of the border.
