Lebanese army assumes security in three southern villages

The Lebanese army began assuming security responsibilities in three southern villages on Monday, July 20, 2026, under a U.S.-backed pilot initiative aimed at enabling a phased Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of Hezbollah. The operations in Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar al-Gharbiya mark the first implementation of a trilateral framework signed by Lebanon, Israel, and the United States on June 26.

The U.S. State Department announced the start of the pilot zone operations, describing the step as a direct outcome of talks held between Israeli and Lebanese delegations in Rome last week. The framework envisions a phased Israeli pullback from positions in south Lebanon. In exchange, the Lebanese Armed Forces are to assume sole security control of vacated areas and certify they have been cleared of Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure. The initiative is being managed by the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, involving teams from the three militaries.

Implementation on the ground, however, appeared partial and faced immediate questions. The Lebanese military stated its units were continuing their missions in Froun and Srifa but noted that coordination was underway to begin...