BEIRUT, July 21. /TASS/. Israeli forces have shelled an area in the southern city of Zoutar al-Gharbiya, where Lebanese soldiers are stationed, as part of the ongoing effort to establish a "pilot zone," according to a statement from the Lebanese Army command.
The communique stated, "Forces of occupation opened fire near positions where Lebanese soldiers were stationed in accordance with the agreements reached." The attack threatens to undermine the objectives of the pilot zone initiative.
Earlier in the day, a Lebanese Army mechanized convoy entered Zoutar al-Gharbiya, a town from which Israeli troops had previously withdrawn. As reported by Asharq Al-Awsat, the Lebanese army is expected to demonstrate its capacity to maintain regional stability and to begin disarming supporters of the Shiite organization Hezbollah.
The establishment of the first pilot zone was agreed upon on July 15, following the sixth round of Lebanese-Israeli talks held in Rome. Additionally, a framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26 outlines the Lebanese Armed Forces' gradual restoration of effective sovereign control over the entire country, while Israel commits to withdrawal from occupied territories.