Lebanese Army Takes Control of Pilot Villages in US‑Brokered Ceasefire

In June 2026 the United States helped broker a cease‑fire framework between Lebanon and Israel that earmarked three southern villages – Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al‑Gharbiya – as a pilot zone. The Lebanese army entered the villages, establishing checkpoints and patrols while US Central Command oversees the phased Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of Hezbollah forces in the area.

Residents have begun returning to the damaged towns, but many complain the villages were never occupied by Israeli troops. Mohamed Nader, head of Ghandouriyeh’s municipal council, said, “Israel wants to sell us and the state empty walnut shells, calling it a pilot zone, when they never even entered it.” The pilot zones are therefore viewed by locals as a symbolic gesture rather than a genuine territorial concession, even as the broader conflict that began in March 2026 has killed more than 4,300 people in Lebanon.