Israel’s ‘pilot zones’: Withdrawal on paper, continued occupation of south Lebanon

Israel’s ‘pilot zones’: Withdrawal on paper, continued occupation of south Lebanon At the entrance to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, a village in southern Lebanon , a Lebanese Army checkpoint marks the edge of what is now officially known as a "pilot zone". It is one of three villages - along with Froun and Srifa - designated as such under the framework agreement between Israel , the United States and Lebanon, signed in June 2026. On paper, the pilot zones, whose implementation began on 20 July, are meant to work as a formula: a gradual Israeli withdrawal, paired with a handover of sovereignty to the Lebanese Army, and the end of Hezbollah's armed presence in these locations.