The Lebanon “pilot zones” project finally got underway last week, following substantial delays and multiple rounds of negotiations. The Lebanese Army now says their deployment into those villages, as required by the deal, is being prevented by Israeli violations of the ceasefire.
The pilot zones were meant to be symbolic, token pullouts from Israel after months of expanding their invasion and occupation. Indeed, the “pullout” included a village Israeli forces had attacked and largely destroyed, but weren’t even actively occupying anymore.
Israel would only do that on the condition that their occupation would be replaced by a Lebanese military occupation, and while that began last week, the areas quickly came under Israeli attack.
Olive trees in Marjayoun District were destroyed in white phosphorous strikes | Image from X
The Lebanese military after its own few days of limiting access to those areas, is trying to both deploy into the zones and to bring some of the villagers back to what were once their homes. They report that Israeli forces are continuing attacks around the area, blocking the civilians’ return, and in fact are causing so much danger it’s precluding a lot of the Lebanese military from even getting to the pilot zone they’re meant to occupy.
The military also noted the destruction in Markaba, in the Marjayoun District, is continuing to worsen, with Israeli military bulldozers not only continuing to level homes, but confiscating the rubble after the fact.
To make matters much worse for the future of the area, Israeli forces have also burned the ancient olive trees and other agricultural land that was the basis for the Markaba people’s living. Like most of southern Lebanon, this area was substantially reliant on agriculture before the invasion. What will be left by the time the Markabans are allowed back, assuming they ever are, is an open question.
