Lebanon's army has begun deploying troops to a "pilot zone" in the south of the country, following Israel's withdrawal from part of the territory it occupied during last year's conflict with Hezbollah. The move, confirmed by Israel's military on Monday night, forms part of a US-brokered agreement and marks an early step towards a wider Israeli pullback and the disarmament of the Iran-backed group.

Lebanese units entered the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in Nabatieh district on Tuesday morning. The development comes ahead of a Washington meeting between US President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is expected to press Trump to push Israel towards a full withdrawal from southern Lebanon and to back the Lebanese army in asserting control over Hezbollah-influenced areas. The conflict, triggered on 2 March when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel after a strike killed Iran's supreme leader, has left more than 4,300 people dead in Lebanon, including almost 800 women, children and medics, while Israel reports 37 soldiers and four civilians killed.