BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- Scores of displaced Lebanese civilians made their way back to southern towns designated by Washington as “pilot zones” early on Tuesday, only to discover that the Israeli “withdrawal” they had been promised was nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. 
Local residents returning to the villages of Froun and Srifa cast serious doubt on Israel’s intention to pull out, revealing a troubling truth: the zones, or at least most of them, “were never occupied by Israeli forces” to begin with, locals told Al Jazeera.
“The inclusion of [these] villages is evidence that Israel is in fact not giving anything up, despite the framework agreement, and is instead able to remain in the [other] areas it has occupied,” villagers said. 
Two Lebanese security sources confirmed the same narrative to Al Jazeera, stressing that two of the three designated “pilot zones” — Froun and Srifa — are simply not occupied. Zawtar al-Gharbiya is the only one of the three where Israeli forces are actually present.
The U.S. State Department officially launched the project on Monday, declaring that “pilot zone operations began in the villages of Froun, Srifa, and Zawtar al-Gharbiya in accordance with the Trilateral Framework”. 
But on the ground, the reality was starkly different. Fierce resistance from Hezbollah prevented occupation forces from pushing into both Froun and Al-Ghandourieh during the initial weeks of heavy fighting — a fact confirmed by local officials and correspondents on the ground.
The mayor of Ghandouriyeh, Muhammad Ali Nader, rejected the designation outright: “We will not accept Ghandouriyeh being designated a pilot zone where the occupation army can open fire on anyone it wants, whenever it wants. This is unacceptable, and the description does not apply to the town. It is not occupied, and there are no Israelis here, so how can they withdraw from an area where they are not present?” 
Residents pointed to the sheer absurdity of the arrangement. “Israel wants to sell us and the state empty walnut shells, calling it a pilot zone, when they never even entered it in the first place,” one local told Al Jazeera.
The revelation that Israel is being credited with “withdrawing” from areas it never occupied underscores the utter humiliation of the U.S.-brokered agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel — a deal that critics say violates Lebanese law and effectively hands away Lebanon’s sovereignty in return for absolutely nothing.
The unconstitutional Lebanon-Israel deal would see the establishment of future pilot zones under “mutual consent” between Tel Aviv and Beirut — a clause that essentially gives Israel veto power over its own withdrawal. 
The plan is meant to see the Lebanese Armed Forces replace Israeli occupation troops in designated zones and dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, in tandem with a “phased” Israeli withdrawal. But Lebanese military sources have already told local media that the LAF refuses and rejects direct cooperation with Israel.
“The army will not operate under anyone’s command [including Israel]. Its mission is not to clear the ground for the enemy in order to facilitate its entry into areas it failed to reach because of fierce resistance. The army will not be the reason for the occupation of additional Lebanese territory,” the sources said.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers have publicly stated they have “no intention of withdrawing” from south Lebanon, while Israeli media has confirmed that occupation forces have not received any political directive to withdraw. There are still no clear timelines for the U.S. plan.
Lebanese military sources told the New Arab earlier this month that the army refuses to operate under anyone’s command, including Israel. “The army will not clear the ground for the enemy in order to facilitate its entry into areas it failed to reach because of fierce resistance,” the sources said.
The so-called “pilot zone” initiative has been denounced as a “confidence-eroding” measure rather than a genuine step toward peace . As one returning resident put it: “Israel is not giving anything up”.