{"id":2127,"date":"2026-07-29T05:08:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T05:08:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2127"},"modified":"2026-07-29T05:08:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T05:08:41","slug":"few-families-return-to-southern-lebanese-village-as-part-of-israel-pilot-zones-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=2127","title":{"rendered":"Few families return to southern Lebanese village as part of Israel \u2018pilot zones\u2019 deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ZAWTAR AL-GHARBIEH, Lebanon (AP) \u2014 Mahasen Faqih and her husband returned this week to their village in southern Lebanon<\/span>, digging through the debris of their home in search of their belongings, as part of the U.S.-brokered \u201cpilot zones\u201d<\/span> agreement in which Israel agreed to withdraw in exchange for the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Read more NATO member Romania shoots down stray drones from Ukraine war after years of incursions<\/a><\/p>\n

The couple fled north shortly after the start of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war<\/span>, in early March. Now, their home in Zawtar al-Gharbieh \u2014 one of three zones where Israel agreed to turn over control to the Lebanese army \u2014 is among homes so damaged that they\u2019re unlivable. But Faqih said they\u2019ve vowed to stay, settling inside the large grocery shop that they own in the village as they wait to have their home demolished and rebuilt.<\/p>\n

\u201cZawtar is our small homeland, and we are very happy,\u201d Faqih, 58, said. \u201cWe will sleep here to tell the Israelis that we will stay in our land and will not leave it, no matter what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A week after the Lebanese army took control, only about 15 families have returned, according to Mayor Abed Ezzeldine, who says nearly half the village\u2019s 500 homes have been destroyed and many others damaged. <\/p>\n

Hezbollah is strongly opposed to the initial deal reached between Israel and Lebanon \u2014 which remain technically in a state of war since Israel\u2019s establishment in 1948 \u2014 and to the direct talks between the nations, ongoing for nearly three months. <\/p>\n

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began March 2, when the Lebanese militant group fired rockets into Israel two days after Israel and the U.S. launched their war on Iran<\/span>. Israel has since invaded Lebanon and occupied dozens of villages<\/span> in the south along its border.<\/p>\n

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Under the deal, Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw from some occupied areas of southern Lebanon. But the location of the initial pilot zones generated some controversy in Lebanon. Israeli troops weren\u2019t present in most of the areas, raising questions about how a withdrawal could happen. In Zawtar al-Gharbieh, it\u2019s unclear whether troops were on the ground. But they were in adjacent areas, and the village was under heavy fire, preventing civilian residents and the Lebanese army from entering until last week.<\/p>\n

The Israeli military has destroyed 24 centuries-old villages and 15,000 to 20,000 houses in Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told a TV station Tuesday. He said Israeli troops control 700 square kilometers (270 square miles) of southern Lebanon and \u201care preventing raids on the communities.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Residents return to damaged or destroyed homes in Zawtar al-Gharbieh<\/h2>\n

On Tuesday, as Faqih sifted through debris, she was able to recover only nine plates from the kitchen. That room and the main sitting room were knocked out, with the ceiling partially collapsed. On the home\u2019s other side, an Israeli strike left a hole in the main bedroom\u2019s ceiling. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are gathering what remains of what we have collected over 45 years,\u201d Faqih said, noting that she\u2019d already sold $20,000 in jewelry to repair the home from damage in the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war \u2014 something she can no longer afford. She hopes the government will help them rebuild. <\/p>\n

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