Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam Visits Zoutar Al Gharbiya Following Israeli Withdrawal

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam arrived on Wednesday in the southern town of Zoutar Al Gharbiya to review the field conditions following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area, coinciding with the arrival of Lebanese army vehicles at the town’s entrance and the commencement of military unit deployments within it, according to Lebanese media reports.

Accompanying the prime minister during this field visit was a high-level delegation that included Defense Minister Michel Mounsa, Chief of Staff Brigadier General Hassan Auda, Secretary-General of the Supreme Defense Council Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Mustafa, President of the Council for Development and Reconstruction Mohammed Qabbani, President of the South Council Hashim Haidar, and Director of the Central Operations Room at the Prime Minister’s Office Zahi Shaheen.

The Lebanese army officially announced the start of its units entering and expanding their presence throughout the town of Zoutar Al Gharbiya in the south, immediately after the completion of the Israeli withdrawal, with the aim of restoring security and securing the area.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese army reported that Israeli forces fired shots near its military units while they were carrying out deployment operations inside Zoutar Al Gharbiya in southern Lebanon, which endangered the soldiers and obstructed the mission’s execution. The army urged Israel to resolve any issues through the established military coordination channels instead of resorting to "attacks."

The Lebanese army command confirmed that its units completed their deployment inside Zoutar Al Gharbiya after conducting the necessary communications and coordination with Lebanon’s military coordination group (MCG4L), while clarifying that the forces did not enter the neighboring town of Zoutar Al Sharqiya.

In an official statement, the command explained that the outskirts of Zoutar Al Gharbiya witnessed the approach of Israeli army forces while Lebanese soldiers were inside the town to carry out the deployment mission. The Israeli forces fired near them, which endangered the soldiers and hindered the completion of their assigned task.

The statement emphasized the need to halt these attacks and called on the Israeli army to address any issues through the military coordination group (MCG4L) and official communication channels rather than resorting to field violations.