Dozens of displaced residents have started returning to villages in southern Lebanon following the launch of a US-brokered "pilot zone" project, announced on Monday, July 21st, 2026, by Israel, Lebanon, and the United States. The initiative is part of a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel signed last month in Washington.

The pilot zone plan involves Israel withdrawing from a small number of areas in southern Lebanon, even as it continues to occupy other regions following an escalation of its war on Lebanon since March 2026, which has resulted in over 4,300 deaths. Israel maintains that the Lebanese group Hezbollah must be disarmed before a complete withdrawal.

Al Jazeera spoke to residents returning to the neighbouring villages of Froun and Ghandouriyeh, which were previously evacuated due to Israeli bombardment. Ghandouriyeh has experienced extensive damage, with 250 of its 260 homes fully or partially destroyed, according to municipal council head Mohammed Nader. In Froun, local families, including those led by Abu Ali who founded a family business decades ago, have also begun to resettle.

Lebanon’s military has started taking control of the pilot zone areas in the south, marking a significant step in the implementation of the agreement.

Sources