Lebanese army begins deployment to southern regions after Israel deal

The Lebanese army announced on Tuesday that it had begun deploying to an area in the south, one of three "pilot zones" outlined in a deal with Israel to disarm Hezbollah.

The announcement came with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visiting Washington, which brokered the deal with Israel.

Israel invaded Lebanon during its recent war with Iran-backed militants Hezbollah, and it has continued to occupy parts of the country despite a ceasefire agreement in place.

To date, Israeli troops have only controlled the outskirts of one of the so-called pilot zones, with their occupation of other areas yet to be addressed. The Lebanese military already has a presence in the other two pilot zones.

"Military units began deploying this morning to Zawtar al- Gharbieh" in the Nabatieh region, the army said in a statement.

The announcement comes as Aoun prepares to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Tuesday to wrap up his four-day visit, aiming to bring about long-term calm in the war-torn country after months of war and occupation.

Joseph Aoun's landmark meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel continue to hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. Lebanon hopes they will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of their southern regions, but talks have not yet produced tangible results on that front.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously asserted that he had no intention of removing Israeli troops from the region, arguing that in the absence of a domestic front against Hezbollah, IDF forces will maintain their presence to secure northern regions of his country.