Hezbollah Gradually Returns to Evacuated Villages as Lebanon Pilot Stalls
A pilot project handing southern Lebanese villages to the Lebanese military shows signs of failure as Hezbollah gradually restores its civilian and operational footprint.
More than a hundred days after the Israel Defense Forces transferred control of three villages in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese Armed Forces, Hezbollah is gradually returning to the evacuated areas. Instead of the planned dismantling of the organization's infrastructure and the expansion of state control, Hezbollah has managed to re-establish its civilian mechanisms and its presence among the local population.
In Zoutar al-Gharbiya, the pilot village where the arrangement began in late July 2026, organizations affiliated with Hezbollah such as the Islamic Health Committee and the 'Waatu' association have reappeared. Documentation collected by the Alma Research and Education Center shows operatives of these groups operating openly alongside Lebanese soldiers. While the Lebanese Armed Forces have deployed to the area, they reportedly avoid entering private homes or conducting thorough searches, leaving a vacuum that Hezbollah exploits to rebuild its civilian and intelligence network.
Security sources in Israel note that the ongoing political uncertainty in both Israel and the United States has stalled negotiations over the monitoring mechanism for the agreement. Without an effective enforcement tool to ensure the Lebanese military dismantles militant infrastructure, Hezbollah continues to regain footing. Meanwhile, the IDF maintains defensive positions in southern Lebanon with reduced forces, continuing clearing operations while preparing for potential escalations as tensions along the northern border steadily rise.
