BEIRUT / Wassim Seif Eddine / Anadolu

The Lebanese army announced on Tuesday that Israeli forces opened fire near its units as they began deploying in the town of Zoutar al-Gharbi in the Nabatieh governorate in southern Lebanon.

The army command said in a statement that "Israeli occupation forces opened fire in close proximity to military units" while they were carrying out the deployment operation in the town of Zoutar al-Gharbi.

It added that this "attack would hinder the implementation of deployment steps in the pilot areas," which are being carried out within the framework of communications and coordination with the Lebanon-specific Military Coordination Group (MCG4L).

This group was established last June under the "Framework Formula," a joint tripartite committee comprising the United States, Israel, and Lebanon.

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

Zoutar town is located south of the Litani River and is among the pilot areas covered by the first phase of the "Framework Formula" signed on June 26 last year.

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

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

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted the army as claiming that its troops fired "warning shots toward Lebanese soldiers who crossed the agreed line in the village of Zoutar al-Gharbi in southern Lebanon."

The Israeli army added that "the American mechanism was informed" about the incident, according to the broadcaster.

This implementation step came hours before an upcoming summit between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, at 6 p.m. Beirut time, according to an official source who spoke to Anadolu on Saturday.

On Monday, the U.S. State Department announced "the start of operations in the pilot area in the villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zoutar al-Gharbi, according to the tripartite framework and under the auspices of the Lebanon-specific Military Coordination Group."

Despite these developments, the Israeli army continued its violations of the agreement and carried out a series of massive explosions around the towns of Zoutar al-Sharqiya and Zoutar al-Gharbi from midnight until dawn, and also detonated sites around the towns of Beit Yahoun and Kounine in the Bint Jbeil district, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.

The Israeli forces also carried out two explosions in the town of Majdel Zoun, coinciding with clearing operations targeting the towns of Majdel Zoun, Biout al-Siyad, and Hadatha, according to the agency.

The agency also reported that the Israeli army carried out a large explosion in the town of Kfar Tebnit and a widespread demolition operation in the town of Mays al-Jabal, while its forces dropped sound bombs on the towns of Mansouri and Hadatha.

In a related context, the Ali al-Taher forest on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, in addition to the Deir neighborhood in the same town and the outskirts of Mayfadoun, were subjected to intermittent artillery shelling, according to the same source.

Also, an Israeli drone was recorded flying at low altitude over the capital Beirut, according to the Lebanese agency.

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

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