Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed on Wednesday from the town of Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh, a day after the Lebanese army deployed there, that Beirut will continue to 'mobilize' all efforts to ensure a full Israeli withdrawal from the south of the country, according to the framework agreement signed by the two countries.

This came a day after President Joseph Aoun stressed during his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House 'the urgent need for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory', confirming that this 'constitutes a fundamental step to consolidate stability and enable the Lebanese state to exercise its full sovereignty with its own forces.'

Salam said after planting the Lebanese flag in Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh square, which he reached in the morning accompanied by the army: 'We will continue to mobilize all our political and diplomatic efforts to ensure a full withdrawal from all Lebanese territory.'

At the start of the Israeli withdrawal, my words from Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh this morning: I would like to address a word to all Lebanese, especially to our people in the south, from the town of Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh. This is a national moment with great political and moral dimensions, because it represents the beginning of the Israeli withdrawal from our land. We have affirmed from the beginning... pic.twitter.com/c6OgiDHZ8R

— Nawaf Salam (@nawafsalam) July 22, 2026

On Tuesday, the Lebanese army began deploying in the town of Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh, one of the 'experimental areas', according to the framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel under US sponsorship last month.

The Israeli army was stationed on the outskirts of the town located in the Nabatieh area, and still keeps its forces in several neighboring towns.

The Lebanese army condemned the Israeli forces' firing of shots near its troops during their deployment, while the Israeli army said it fired 'warning shots in the air' after Lebanese soldiers entered an area that was not 'part of the experimental zone.'

Under the framework agreement, the Lebanese army, after deploying in the 'experimental areas', is supposed to disarm Hezbollah there and ban any military presence of any group outside government forces, with this serving as a test for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from other areas.

Following the war started by Hezbollah on March 2, in support of Iran, its main backer, Israel responded with a devastating bombing campaign and occupied large areas in the south, which it said it intends to keep its forces in and prevent their residents from returning.

Salam added in his speech from Zoutar al-Gharbiyeh: 'In parallel with the completion of the army's deployment, we will continue to open roads, remove rubble, and secure basic services, enabling our people to return safely and with dignity to their homes and villages.'

The war caused widespread destruction, especially in southern Lebanon. The pace of violence in southern Lebanon has significantly decreased since the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran last month, coinciding with ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

More than 700,000 displaced people, according to the UN, have returned to their homes in recent weeks, out of over one million who fled their areas after the outbreak of the war between Hezbollah and Israel.