Istanbul / Anadolu

The Lebanese army said on Tuesday that its forces deployed in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyya in the south of the country without entering the neighboring town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyya, while Israeli forces opened fire near them, endangering them and hindering the mission.

The army added in a statement that 'the military units carried out their deployment inside the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyya after making the necessary contact and coordination with the special military coordination group for Lebanon, and did not enter the town of Zawtar al-Sharqiyya.'

It noted that Israeli forces approached the outskirts of Zawtar al-Gharbiyya while its personnel were inside the town carrying out the deployment mission, and opened fire near them, 'which endangered the soldiers and hindered the execution of the task assigned to them.'

It called on the Israeli army to 'address any issue through the special military coordination group for Lebanon, and through the approved coordination and communication channels, instead of committing attacks.'

The special military coordination group for Lebanon was established in last June as part of the 'Framework Formula,' a tripartite mechanism involving the United States, Lebanon, and Israel to coordinate the implementation of the agreement.

Earlier Tuesday, the Lebanese army announced the start of the deployment of its military units in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyya in the Nabatieh district as part of implementing the first phase of the 'Framework Formula' agreement, according to the mechanism emanating from the tripartite understanding with the United States and Israel, which was reached in Rome.

The town of Zawtar is located south of the Litani River, and is among the 'experimental areas' covered by the first phase of the 'Framework Agreement' signed on June 26 last year.

The agreement stipulates a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory, beginning with a model application in 'experimental areas,' with the Lebanese army assuming security responsibility in the areas from which Israeli forces withdraw, along with disarming armed groups, in reference to 'Hezbollah.'

For its part, the Israeli army acknowledged earlier Tuesday that its forces opened fire toward Lebanese soldiers, claiming it was warning fire.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted the army as claiming that its forces fired 'warning shots toward Lebanese soldiers who crossed the agreed line in the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyya in southern Lebanon.'

The Israeli army added that 'the American mechanism was informed' about the incident, according to the Broadcasting Authority.

Since March 2, 2026, Israel has continued its aggression on Lebanon, resulting in 4,328 killed and 12,230 injured, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Israel occupies areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades, and others since the clashes between 2023 and 2024, and it has penetrated more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory during the current aggression.