The symbolic planting of the Lebanese flag in a southern town on Wednesday was hailed as the start of an Israeli withdrawal, but doubts remain over the next steps for peace.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam installed the flag in the southern town of Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh, marking the return of Lebanese state authority to an area vacated by Israeli forces under the first phase of a US-brokered plan between Lebanon and Israel.
It came a day after President Joseph Aoun's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington – the first between a Lebanese president and a US president in 17 years.
The move came as Italy announced that the next phase of direct Lebanon-Israel negotiations would take place on August 4, suggesting momentum behind the US-backed process.
Lebanese leaders hailed the start of the framework’s implementation as a diplomatic win. But it remains unclear whether the much-publicised roll-out will translate into a lasting change on the ground. Hezbollah has flatly rejected the framework.
Meanwhile, the symbolism of Mr Salam’s flag-planting ceremony masks the limited military significance of the initial roll-out. Israeli forces were never deployed in two of the three zones – Srifa and Froun – while in Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh they had only occupied the outskirts of the town.
Karim Bitar, a Middle East expert at Sciences Po Paris, said that “apart from some kind words, Lebanon has yet to secure a firm American commitment to pressure Israel to withdraw”.
“Trump avoided this delicate issue,” Mr Bitar said. With Israel on the verge of legislative elections in October, Mr Trump is likely to be aware that “Israel is unlikely to make concessions on the Lebanese front” during an electoral period.
The establishment of the pilot zones is the first test of the US plan’s feasibility: whether the Lebanese army can assert control over parts of the south where Hezbollah has long held influence, and whether Israel will ultimately withdraw from what it calls its “security zone”.
“This is a national moment of great political and moral significance as it marks the beginning of the Israeli withdrawal from our land,” Mr Salam said on his tour of Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh. “We have affirmed from the outset that our goal is a complete Israeli withdrawal from all our territory. What we are witnessing today is only the beginning.”
For Mr Bitar, Mr Aoun’s visit to Washington “produced few significant breakthroughs beyond the photo-ops”. But “many Lebanese are so exhausted by war and so desperate for hope that they tend to cling to any encouraging sign. Some therefore begin to see Trump as a new saviour and believe that Lebanon will finally be protected.”
“The cold hard truth is that Lebanon has very few cards to play. It had little choice but to enter this bilateral negotiation process because there are few credible alternatives,” he added.
The pilot zone roll-out was also not without incident. Israeli forces opened fire near a Lebanese army unit as it deployed into Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh shortly after they withdrew.
A Lebanese security source said the Israeli forces opened fire to signal that the Lebanese unit had reached “what they thought was the boundary of the zone”. The source added that the incident was immediately referred to the US for review and that “the Americans were very angry about it”.
Israel “should address any problem through the Military Co-ordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L) and through the approved co-ordination and communication channels, instead of carrying out attacks”, the Lebanese Army said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the Lebanese army was working to clear Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh of explosives and wreckage as its residents waited to return to the area ravaged by Israeli air raids and demolitions.
“We are here to assure you that we have begun mobilising all the resources of the state to facilitate your return,” Mr Salam said from Zawtar Al Gharbiyeh. He added that the state had begun preparations to restore basic services to the area and was working to secure ready-made housing to returning residents.
“The return of life to the south is not just a slogan, but a national goal to which the state is committed,” he said. “The return of our people to their land is the truest expression of Lebanon's unity and sovereignty.”
