Lebanon fails to agree new pilot zones in two months — Dawn
In Lebanon, two months after Israeli troops withdrew from West Zawtar, no new pilot zones have been agreed as part of a US-backed plan. It provides for Israel’s gradual withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of Hezbollah, Dawn reports.
Israeli troops left West Zawtar in July. However, village residents say it has not become a model for subsequent pilot zones: the settlement largely has no electricity or water supply, while Israeli military personnel remain in neighboring East Zawtar.
Damaged homes and restrictions
Mariam al-Yaghi, a 67-year-old resident of West Zawtar, said she hears the voices of Israeli soldiers from the neighboring village at night, while during the day, when she works in her garden, she is often watched by a small drone. According to her, explosions are heard in the mornings because Israeli troops are demolishing homes in surrounding villages they occupy using controlled explosions and bulldozers.
Al-Yaghi’s home was damaged by tank shells: its windows were shattered, and one shell pierced the roof of a water tank. Many of her neighbors have not yet returned because their homes were destroyed. Tracks remain on her plot, while olive trees she had cultivated for decades were uprooted.
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Owners of groves near Israeli military positions are requesting permission to harvest olives through a coordination mechanism involving US, Lebanese and Israeli military personnel. Some residents fear that permission will arrive too late for the harvest.
Israel’s and US positions
In response to a Reuters request, the Israeli military said that work to eliminate the threat posed by Hezbollah’s weapons has not been completed. According to the military, drones are used to identify threats, while restrictions on local residents’ movement are intended to protect troops.
A US State Department spokesperson called the process of creating a pilot zone the only viable path to security for both Lebanon and Israel. According to the spokesperson, the zone is to be expanded after the Lebanese army conducts clearance operations in its initial area, while Hezbollah’s disarmament is an integral part of the process.
West Zawtar Mayor Abed Ezzedin said that about 70 families had returned to the village, mostly living in undamaged parts of their homes. The Council of the South delivered 16 prefabricated homes for families whose houses are uninhabitable, but most of them are unoccupied due to a lack of electricity and water.
