Wassim Seif Eddine from southern Lebanon - Anadolu

These developments come within the framework of implementing a ceasefire agreement and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories it occupied during the recent aggression.

Residents of the town of Zoutar al-Gharbiya in southern Lebanon began returning on Friday after army engineering teams finished clearing obstacles, unexploded ordnance, and mines left by Israeli forces.

Anadolu's correspondent reported that the Lebanese army allowed residents at noon on Friday to enter the western and northern neighborhoods of the town to inspect their homes, without allowing them to stay in them at present.

The correspondent stated that units of the Lebanese army positioned themselves at the town's entrance from the 'Qaaqiat al-Jisr' side to organize the residents' return, who had been waiting four days before obtaining permission to enter.

This step came after the engineering teams of the Lebanese army finished removing war remnants, unexploded ordnance, and mines left by the Israeli army in the town's streets and neighborhoods, allowing residents to enter safely, according to the official Lebanese National News Agency.

The Lebanese army had announced last Tuesday the start of positioning its units in Zoutar al-Gharbiya, as part of the first phase of the 'Framework Formula' agreement according to the tripartite mechanism between Lebanon, the United States, and Israel signed in Rome.

Zoutar al-Gharbiya, located south of the Litani River, is one of the experimental areas included in the first phase of the agreement signed on June 26 last year.

The agreement stipulates a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories, starting with the implementation of a model in experimental areas, with the Lebanese army assuming security responsibility in areas from which Israeli forces withdraw, along with the disarmament of armed groups, in reference to 'Hezbollah'.

On Monday, the US State Department announced the start of implementing the experimental area in the towns of Froun, Sarifa, and Zoutar al-Gharbiya, according to the tripartite framework and under the auspices of the Special Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.

Since March 2, 2026, Israel has continued its aggression on Lebanon, resulting in the killing of 4,329 people and injuring 12,233 others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades, and others since the confrontations in the region between 2023 and 2024, and it advanced more than 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory during the current aggression.

Zoutar al-Gharbiya is one of the experimental areas in the agreement that stipulates a gradual Israeli withdrawal in return for the Lebanese army assuming security responsibility and disarming armed groups. The Special Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, under US sponsorship, supervises implementation. This comes after an Israeli aggression since March 2026 that resulted in thousands of casualties. It is expected to expand the scope of experimental areas to include other towns in future phases.