The United States announced on Monday that the first steps toward implementing a security agreement between Lebanon and Israel had begun in three villages in southern Lebanon.

US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said pilot-zone operations had started in Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbiya under the trilateral framework and the supervision of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.

Pigott described the development as a direct result of negotiations held between Lebanese and Israeli delegations in Rome last week. He said Washington would continue working closely with both sides until the agreement was fully implemented.

Under the arrangement, the Lebanese Armed Forces will assume responsibility for security in the designated areas and work to remove unauthorized weapons, including those held by Hezbollah. Israeli forces are expected to withdraw gradually as Lebanese troops deploy.

The pilot zones are intended to test whether the agreed mechanism can operate successfully before it is expanded to other parts of southern Lebanon.

Lebanese army prepares to enter Zawtar

The Lebanese army said its units were continuing their missions in Froun, in the Bint Jbeil district, and Srifa, in the Tyre district.

It added that coordination was underway with the US-led military group to begin deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, in the Nabatieh district, once Israeli forces withdraw from the village.

The army urged residents not to approach Zawtar al-Gharbiya and to follow instructions issued by deployed military units for their safety.

Of the three initial villages, only Zawtar al-Gharbiya was under direct Israeli military control. Lebanese troops were already present in Froun and Srifa.

Sources cited by Sky News Arabia said Lebanon was expected to propose additional pilot zones covering Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Arnoun—including Beaufort Castle—Kafr Tibnit and Yohmor.

Lebanon may also propose an Israeli withdrawal from the Bayyada area towards Naqoura in the western sector. These additional locations have not yet been formally approved.

Aoun to meet Trump

The announcement came ahead of a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Aoun has said he hopes the talks will help secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and restore the Lebanese state’s authority over the area.

The process remains politically sensitive. Hezbollah has rejected demands to surrender its weapons, while Israel has linked further withdrawals to what it considers the successful demilitarization of the pilot zones.

The three-village operation therefore represents the first practical test of whether the US-backed framework can develop into a broader agreement covering all of southern Lebanon.