South Lebanon residents face Israeli presence

West Zawtar Residents of southern Lebanon’s West Zawtar village say their return home has brought relief and fear, with Israeli troops still positioned nearby and military operations continuing around them. Sixty-seven-year-old Mariam al-Yaghi says Israeli soldiers are close enough for her to hear their voices at night. During the day, she works in her garden while a small Israeli surveillance drone frequently follows her movements. Israeli troops withdrew from West Zawtar in July under a US-backed “pilot zone” plan aimed at gradually reducing Israel’s military presence in southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of Hezbollah. But two months later, residents say the village has failed to become a model for wider withdrawals. No additional pilot zones have been agreed. The Israeli military said operations to remove threats from Hezbollah weapons were incomplete. It said drones were being used to identify threats and restrictions on residents’ movements were intended to protect its troops. A US State Department spokesperson described the pilot-zone process as the only viable path to security for Lebanon and Israel. Washington said expansion of the zone would depend on clearance operations by the Lebanese army and progress on Hezbollah’s disarmament. For residents, however, the consequences of the conflict remain visible. Yaghi’s home suffered extensive damage, with shattered windows and a tank shell striking the upper floor. Another shell pierced her water tank, leaving the stored water blood-red. After months of displacement, residents have returned to damaged homes while Israeli forces remain nearby. For many, rebuilding is difficult as uncertainty continues over whether the military presence will end. “We hear their voices yelling, the tanks when they move this way and that way. We hear all of that. They’re very close to us, but we’re sitting here and we’re not scared. Never.” - Mariam al-Yaghi (West Zawtar resident)