The return of southern Lebanon residents to their towns remains stalled amid destruction, disrupted services, continued shelling and demolition operations, and low-flying Israeli drones, more than two months after Israeli forces withdrew from Western Zoutar, chosen as the first test of the US-backed “pilot zone” plan.
At her home in Western Zoutar, Maryam al-Yaghi steps around shattered glass scattered across the floor before reaching her balcony, where she watches military vehicles moving a few hundred metres away in a neighbouring town where Israeli forces remain. She says patrols pass very close to her home at night, close enough for her to hear the voices of those inside them.
During the day, Maryam watches a small Israeli drone while working in her garden. In the morning, she hears echoes of explosions from demolition operations carried out by Israeli forces in surrounding towns, using controlled blasts and bulldozers. Israeli forces withdrew from Western Zoutar last July as part of the first implementation of a plan for their gradual withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah disarming.
But the plan had not expanded after two months, and no agreement had been reached on establishing additional pilot zones, while residents said their experience did not provide a model suitable for wider application. The Israeli army said work to remove what it described as the threat posed by Hezbollah weapons was not yet complete.
It added that drones were being used to monitor threats and that restrictions on residents’ movements were intended to protect its forces. A US State Department spokesperson, meanwhile, described the pilot-zone process as “the only viable path” to achieving security for Lebanon and Israel.
He said the zone would be expanded after the Lebanese army carried out clearance operations in the first area, stressing that Hezbollah’s disarmament “is an integral part of this process”. The plan stems from developments following the flight of more than one million Lebanese from their homes, when Israel launched air strikes and a ground incursion about seven months ago, alongside the war on Iran.
Ending the war in Lebanon became an Iranian condition for any agreement, prompting Washington to intensify pressure for a settlement. Despite months of US-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel, followed by a ceasefire in June, the Israeli army continued to carry out strikes that killed and wounded dozens of people.
Residents’ return hindered by destruction and military presence
Israeli forces have also maintained their presence in Lebanese territory within what they unilaterally declared a “security zone”, encompassing dozens of villages, many of which have suffered extensive destruction. When residents returned to Western Zoutar in July, their joy at returning was mixed with shock at the scale of the damage. Many found their homes destroyed, while the Israeli military presence remained close enough to cause concern and undermine their sense of security.
Only a limited number of Maryam’s neighbours have returned after their homes were levelled. Tank tracks remain visible in her garden, while olive trees she had tended for decades were uprooted. As the harvest season begins, Maryam is trying to gather what remains of the trees’ fruit.
Residents whose orchards lie near Israeli forces’ positions say they have to request permission to reach their trees through a US-led coordination mechanism between the Lebanese and Israeli armies. Some have mocked having to wait for US permission to pick olives, while others fear approvals will come after the harvest season has ended.
A short distance away lies Eastern Zoutar, Western Zoutar’s twin, where Israeli forces remain and continue extensive demolition operations. Western Zoutar Mayor Abd Ezzedine said the “pilot zone” programme had failed, mainly because public services, particularly electricity and running water, remained disrupted.
So far, about 70 families have returned to Western Zoutar, most living in the parts of their homes that remain habitable. For many, returning was less costly than continuing to pay rent elsewhere or remaining in shelters for displaced people. The state-run Council of the South in Lebanon handed over 16 prefabricated homes to families whose houses had become uninhabitable.
Disrupted services limit returnees’ ability to settle
However, most of those homes remain empty because electricity and water are unavailable, limiting residents’ ability to settle there. In Lebanon’s official position, President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday that Israel was violating the substance of the “framework agreement” signed under US auspices and continuing its military operations in southern villages and towns.
He made the remarks while receiving US Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, in the presence of the US ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa. Aoun affirmed Lebanon’s commitment to implementing the agreement and its efforts to build pressure to make Israel comply with its provisions. He also called for an end to the destruction of homes and civilian property in villages and towns where Israeli forces are present, and for the completion of the return of prisoners.
The Lebanese president said people in the south looked forward to extending state authority and deploying the Lebanese army up to internationally recognised borders. He added that the army was carrying out the tasks assigned to it in the south and throughout Lebanon, but needed support, equipment and the necessary vehicles to enable it to perform those tasks.
Aoun calls for an end to operations and completion of the withdrawal
On the ground, Israeli artillery targeted Wadi Zibqin in southern Lebanon on Thursday, while shelling also hit Mansouri and the outskirts of Hadatha and Baraashit, according to the National News Agency. Israeli drones were also seen flying at low altitude over the city of Tyre and its surroundings.
On Sunday, Israeli forces launched a series of strikes targeting Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Wadi al-Saluki and al-Qantara, as well as the area between Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Kfar Tebnit and the town of Mansouri. The strikes coincided with extensive artillery shelling of Wadi Zibqin, Wadi al-Hujeir, Wadi al-Saluki and the Khiam plain. Shelling also reached Hadatha, Haris, Eastern Zoutar, Kfar Tebnit, Baraashit and Nabatieh al-Fawqa.
Israeli forces also carried out demolition operations in the towns of Beit Yahoun, Houla, Talousa, Mansouri and Aitaroun, as well as on the outskirts of Baraashit. They fired illumination flares over Mansouri and Kounine. On the day before those attacks, the Israeli army carried out a demolition operation in Houla after booby-trapping a private school building, destroying it.
The operation coincided with the burning of homes in the town. These operations have continued despite the signing of the “framework agreement” between Beirut and Tel Aviv on 26 June. The agreement provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, with the Lebanese army deploying in areas from which Israeli forces withdraw.
Shelling and demolitions continue in southern villages
Israeli forces remain in southern areas, some of which they have controlled for decades and others they entered during recent wars and military operations. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, meanwhile, said Israel would not be able to remain in southern Lebanon, stressing that “the resistance will continue as long as Israeli aggression exists”.
In a speech delivered on Tuesday, Qassem added: “The liberation of southern Lebanon is before our eyes, and Israel will not be able to remain in southern Lebanon, even if it takes time,” saying that “war consists of rounds, but the final round belongs to the people of the land and the right, those who followed the path of fighters and martyrs”.
He continued: “Do not ask what you will do; we can only be a resistance as long as this aggression exists. Turn to the enemy so that it leaves for a solution to be reached. As for being told: make concessions so that the enemy leaves, we have nothing to offer, because it is attacking us, and there are agreements the enemy has not honoured.” Qassem said the solution began with the withdrawal of Israeli forces, criticised US support for Israel and stressed his rejection of any other proposals before the withdrawal.
His position came as pressure continued over a plan for Hezbollah to disarm in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal. According to Lebanese authorities, ongoing Israeli military operations since 2 March have killed at least 4,386 people and wounded 12,413 others, while more than one million people have been displaced.
The cumulative toll since 8 October 2023, when clashes began between Hezbollah and Israel against the backdrop of the war in the Gaza Strip before the confrontation widened, had reached 8,953 killed and 30,649 wounded by 25 September, according to the latest figures from Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
The Agriculture Ministry said about 22.5% of the country’s agricultural land had been damaged. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced in mid-September that Israeli military operations during 2023 and 2026 had cost Lebanon more than 20 billion US dollars.
He added that the total cost could exceed 27 billion US dollars once the losses from the 2026 war had been fully assessed.
