The Lebanese army deployed on Tuesday to “pilot zones” in part of the country that had been under Israeli control following a deal sponsored by Washington, a military source said.

This development comes hours before President Joseph Aoun’s meeting with his American counterpart, Donald Trump.

The source said soldiers “have begun deploying to the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya” in the Nabatieh region, following Israel’s invasion of parts of the south during their war with militant group Hezbollah.

The deployment comes after the United States announced on Monday the start of the implementation of “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, in accordance with the framework agreement signed by the Lebanese and Israeli governments last June. The US announcement came days after a new round of negotiations between the two sides, sponsored by Washington, in Rome.

A statement from the US State Department said, “Today, pilot zone operations began in the villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar Al-Gharbiya in accordance with the Trilateral Framework and under the auspices of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.” The agreement stipulates a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the areas it entered during the last war with Hezbollah, and the deployment of the Lebanese army in its first phase within two pilot zones.

Despite reduced intensity of the clashes since June, Israeli military operations have continued in southern Lebanon, amid ongoing disagreements over the mechanisms for implementing the agreement and the future of Hezbollah’s armed presence in the border region.

Aoun is scheduled to discuss with US officials the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Lebanese territories they occupy and mechanisms for supporting the Lebanese army’s deployment in the south, at a time when Washington is overseeing the negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv. (AFP)