The Lebanese army said on Tuesday that Israeli forces opened fire ‘near’ its personnel during their deployment in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, one of the ‘experimental zones’ in the south of the country, under the framework agreement with Israel.

The army stated in a statement: 'While military units were carrying out the deployment operation in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire near these units,' confirming that 'this assault is likely to hinder the implementation of the deployment steps in the experimental zones.'

The Lebanese army began its deployment on Tuesday morning in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in southern Lebanon, implementing the ‘experimental zones’ under the framework agreement with Israel, hours before a meeting between President Joseph Aoun and his US counterpart Donald Trump.

The Lebanese army said in a statement that its units began deploying in the town, 'based on existing communications with the military coordination group for Lebanon.'

The army renewed its call for residents 'not to head to the town until the security situation stabilizes, and to comply with the directives of the deployed military units to preserve their safety.'

Local media broadcast live footage showing army vehicles entering the town, one of which was flying the Lebanese flag.

This came a day after the US State Department, sponsor of the direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, announced the immediate implementation of the experimental zones in three towns: Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, Frun, and Sarifa.

Frun and Sarifa are practically located within the area that the Israeli army has classified since September 18 last year as a 'security zone,' but it has not deployed forces there. Meanwhile, Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh lies outside it.

The Israeli army announced last night that it would make adjustments to its positions 'in one of the experimental zones,' referring to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh.

Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement on June 26 last year after five rounds of negotiations, stipulating in particular the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel's gradual withdrawal from the territories it occupied in southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army starting from 'two experimental zones.'

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

The start of the army's deployment in the area occupied by Israel, extending up to ten kilometers from its border, marks the first practical test for the Lebanese state, whose ability to complete the task of disarming Hezbollah and verifying its accomplishment is doubted by analysts.

Hezbollah reiterates its absolute refusal to give up its weapons and the outcomes of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

The announcement of the start of the army's deployment comes hours before a meeting between Aoun and Trump at the White House, as US pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah intensifies.