No return yet: Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh residents caught in another chapter of uncertainty

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The hours of waiting were long and difficult. Residents of Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh woke up hoping they would be allowed to return to their town the day after the Lebanese army deployed there. Instead, that hope turned into disappointment.

For their own safety, the army urged residents to wait. Clearance operations are still underway, with teams discovering aerial bombs, unexploded ordnance and other suspicious objects. 

The security situation also remains highly sensitive because the eastern part of the town is still under Israeli control. On Monday, Israeli forces opened fire near Lebanese army troops.

As the Lebanese army carried out its deployment in Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh in accordance with arrangements coordinated through the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon, its units advanced to within 200 meters of Zawtar el-Charqiyeh. 

The lands of the two neighboring towns overlap to the east, an area the army has not yet reached.

The army was attempting to build an earthen berm to separate occupied land from areas no longer under occupation when Israeli forces advanced and opened fire near the Lebanese unit. 

Israel then claimed that the Lebanese army had crossed 150 meters into the security zone, referring to the area of Zawtar el-Charqiyeh.

The following day was calmer, likely as a result of contacts within the Military Coordination Committee. The issue of the pilot zones also featured prominently during the Trump-Aoun meeting.

As President Joseph Aoun wrapped up his U.S. visit, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam made a brief visit to the town on Wednesday morning. During the stop, he planted a Lebanese flag away from the media and residents before reaffirming the government's support for the people of southern Lebanon.

However, the secrecy surrounding the visit angered many residents, not because Salam came, but because he did not meet with them.

The scenes of 2026 closely resemble those of 2025: waiting, frustration, an unending conflict and an army caught on two fronts, one security-related and the other public, each equally delicate.