Israel to Withdraw from Southern Lebanon Pilot Zones, Hezbollah Disarmament Eyed

TEL AVIV, July 21. /TASS/. The so-called pilot zones in southern Lebanon, from where Israel is to withdraw its troops, are meant to disarm Hezbollah, but the final parameters of the project have not yet been determined, an Israeli military source told TASS.

"The goal of the project to establish pilot zones is to disarm Hezbollah and confiscate illegal weapons. The pilot project is a test of the Lebanese army’s sovereign capabilities in the pilot zones located in three villages," said.

"The final parameters of the process have not yet been determined," he added.

According to the source, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) "will adjust its combat structure" in one of the pilot zones to "let the Lebanese army do their job." At the same time, the Israeli military will continue "ensuring security of Israeli soldiers, retaining the right to self-defense and addressing threats."

The establishment of the first pilot zone was agreed upon on July 15, following the sixth round of Lebanese-Israeli talks held in Rome. Additionally, following five rounds of US-brokered consultation in Washington, Lebanon and Israel signed, on June 26, a framework agreement, under which the Lebanese military is to gradually restore effective sovereign control over the entire Lebanese territory while Israel is to withdraw its troops of the occupied areas.

On July 20, the US Department of State said that three pilot zones had come into effect in Lebanon. On the same day, the IDF said that it had begun to coordinate its actions with the Lebanese military in the pilot zones in southern Lebanon.