Lebanese Village Mayor Questions Israeli Withdrawal Plan

The mayor of a southern Lebanese village has questioned Israel’s reported withdrawal plan that came as part of an initial agreement reached in Washington.

In an interview with RT, Hassan Adel Bazzi said that the community of Froun was designated as a pilot withdrawal zone despite never being occupied by Israeli forces.

Last week, West Jerusalem and the Lebanese government signed a US-brokered deal for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, pending Hezbollah’s disarmament. As part of a broader arrangement, Israel is reportedly planning to establish so-called ‘experimental zones’ in certain parts of southern Lebanon, from which the Israeli army would pull back first in order to allow Lebanese forces to dislodge Hezbollah fighters.

The militant group has rejected the preliminary peace agreement, saying it heavily favors West Jerusalem. Opposition to the deal reportedly extends well beyond Hezbollah, with around 90% of Lebanese overall rejecting normalization with Israel.

“When Netanyahu declared that Froun and Zawtar El Gharbiyeh were experimental zones, we as a municipality and as residents were surprised and outraged,” Bazzi told RT correspondent Steve Sweeny.

The mayor stressed that “Froun is located outside the yellow line,” referring to Israel’s self-declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

“And we know that an experimental zone must be occupied territory,” Bazzi said. “Froun is not occupied, and Israelis have not set foot there, they were only 5 km away.”

Earlier this week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF will not withdraw “a millimeter” from Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.

Watch RT’s full report from the area: