The ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel provides for the creation of “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese army would assume exclusive control and ensure Hezbollah fighters are not present, in return for an Israeli military withdrawal from those areas.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Beirut had proposed that the plan begin in the towns of Zawtar al-Sharqiya and Zawtar al-Gharbiya, along with Yohmor and Beaufort Castle, “given the symbolism of this area and its proximity to the city of Nabatieh.”
The zone carries strategic weight for both sides, security sources in southern Lebanon told Asharq Al-Awsat.
For Israel, it would be a test of security for northern towns and settlements. For Lebanon, it would push the Israeli army away from the surrounding areas of Nabatieh.
Israeli forces advanced last week in the area north of the Litani River, taking control of large parts of Zawtar al-Sharqiya and Yohmor.
By Sunday, they had reached the strategic historic site of Beaufort Castle before coming under Hezbollah fire from rockets and explosive drones, according to successive statements by the group. The security sources said Israeli forces carried out demolitions in parts of Yohmor and Zawtar, but did not establish a military position in the area.
The heights are among the most important military and geopolitical points in southern Lebanon. They overlook the Litani River, towns along its eastern bank, the Nabatieh to Marjayoun road to the east, Nabatieh and its suburbs to the west, and towns on both sides of Wadi al-Hujeir to the south.
For Israel, the elevated area forms a key security depth because it overlooks occupied areas in southern Lebanon and northern towns. It lies just 4 kilometers from the settlement of Metula.
Beaufort Castle has long been a focal point of fighting since the 1982 invasion. From the west, it overlooks the area between the Litani and Zahrani rivers and is the highest hill in that sector.
That position gives its holder a major military advantage. From Beaufort Castle and Yohmor, it is possible to overlook Taybeh, Deir Seryan, and Qantara, where the Israeli army is now deployed.
For that reason, “it cannot leave it outside its control, or without security arrangements, if it wants to remain in the area where it is stationed.”
For Lebanon, an Israeli withdrawal from the high ground is a priority for allowing residents to return to Nabatieh and its surroundings. The area overlooks territory to its west as far as the sea, meaning that an Israeli military presence there would leave nearby towns, as well as Nabatieh, exposed to strikes.
The city lies between 3 and 5 kilometers from Beaufort Castle, Yohmor, and Zawtar.
Sources in southern Lebanon say an agreement on the pilot zone would mean the area is demilitarized and falls under the control of the Lebanese army alone.
If the plan succeeds, it could gradually expand to other areas, including zones north of the yellow line in Majdal Zoun and Zebqine in the western sector, towns overlooking Wadi al-Slouqi in the central sector, or those overlooking Wadi al-Hujeir in the eastern sector.
