Daijiworld Media Network – Beirut
Beirut, Jul 21: Dozens of displaced residents have begun returning to villages in southern Lebanon after Israel, Lebanon and the United States announced the start of the "pilot zone" project, marking the first phase of a framework agreement aimed at easing tensions along the border.
The pilot zone initiative forms part of an agreement signed in Washington last month under which Israel will withdraw from a limited number of areas in southern Lebanon while maintaining its military presence in other locations occupied since it intensified its offensive in March. More than 4,300 people have been killed in the conflict.
Israel has maintained that it will not complete its withdrawal until the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is disarmed.
Residents started returning to the neighbouring villages of Froun and Ghandouriyeh, where Israeli bombardment had earlier forced thousands to flee. The United States identified Froun as one of the three villages included in the first phase of the pilot zone plan, while Ghandouriyeh is expected to be part of the second phase.
However, several residents questioned the inclusion of the two villages in the agreement, arguing that Israeli troops had never occupied them. Lebanese security sources also said the villages had not been under Israeli control, suggesting the agreement does not require Israel to vacate these locations while allowing it to retain positions elsewhere.
Situated on hills overlooking several Israeli-held areas in the Nabatieh and Marjayoun districts, the villages remain vulnerable. The road linking Froun and Ghandouriyeh passes through areas frequently targeted by Israeli fire, while Israeli forces stationed in nearby positions can monitor movement along the route.
Despite the security risks, many families have returned voluntarily.
Among them is the family of Abu Ali Miqdad, who owns heavy construction equipment and has begun clearing the rubble of a building containing residential apartments and storage warehouses at the entrance of Froun. Family members worked to recover tyres, oil drums and spare parts from the debris.
Although expressing little optimism about the broader situation, Miqdad said he was determined to rebuild despite the continued threat of bombardment.
"I will keep clearing the rubble and rebuilding, even under bombardment," he said, adding that the presence of the Lebanese Army and United Nations peacekeepers provided some reassurance.
Across the road, one of the few surviving homes is occupied by Sumaya Haidar, a woman in her seventies, who returned with her grandson despite the lack of electricity, water and telecommunications.
She said she was relieved to be back home but remained worried about the future of the village and the continued displacement of her children's families.
"We put our trust in God. We are not afraid, and we will stay," she said.
The Lebanese Army has increased its presence in the area, deploying patrols around Ghandouriyeh and Froun over the past three days. Soldiers have established checkpoints, searched vehicles and verified residents' identities to reinforce state control.
According to Mohammed Nader, head of the Ghandouriyeh municipal council, about 250 of the village's 260 homes have been fully or partially destroyed during the conflict.
Nader rejected suggestions that Ghandouriyeh should be considered part of the pilot withdrawal plan, arguing that Israeli forces had never entered the village and describing the arrangement as offering little practical benefit to Lebanon.
The issue of extending state authority in southern Lebanon is expected to feature prominently during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday.
The Lebanese government views the deployment of its army in Froun and Ghandouriyeh as evidence of strengthening state authority, while Hezbollah continues to maintain that its weapons remain necessary to defend Lebanon against Israel if the national army is unable to do so.