BEIRUT: Israeli forces opened fire on Lebanese soldiers during their dep­loyment in southern Leba­non from where Israel was supposed to withdraw under a US-backed agreement ahead of a scheduled meeting of President Joseph Aoun with Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Lebanon’s military said Israeli troops fired near its soldiers deploying in a so-called “pilot zone” despite the deal. While troops were deploying in Zawtar al-Gharbiya in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces “opened fire in the vicinity of these units”, the army said, adding that “the attack will hinder the implementation of deployment in the pilot zones”.

At the White House meeting, Trump vowed to help Lebanon “a lot” as President Aoun sought Washington’s backing for a fragile effort to disarm Hezbollah and forge a path to peace with Israel.

Lebanon had been “a very mistreated country” that had been “hit hard” for decades.

Trump assures Aoun of helping Beirut ‘a lot’; announces resumption of direct flights by US airlines to Lebanon

“It’s probably a dangerous place in a lot of ways,” Trump told reporters.

“But they love the country... and we’re going to help it. We’re going to help it a lot.”

President Trump later in a social media post announced resumption of direct flights by US airlines to Lebanon, which have been suspended for decades. “After meeting with the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, who has done a remarkable job working to transform his Country, I am hereby directing my Administration to allow all US airline carriers to fly directly to Lebanon so that Americans can easily visit this beautiful land,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Aoun, the first Leba­nese president invited to Washington since 2009, asked Trump for continued backing for the Lebanese army, which has begun deploying in southern areas under a US-backed agreement with Israel. “We need to support the LAF,” Aoun said, referring to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

“Without the LAF, everything will collapse.”

The Lebanese president said the military was “the backbone of security and stability”.

But in a sign of the fragility of the deal, the Lebanese army said Israeli troops fired near its soldiers deploying in a so-called “pilot zone” Israel is supposed to withdraw from.

Pressure on Israel

Asked if Washington would put additional pressure on Israel to withdraw, Trump said: “We’ll be looking at that.” Lebanon is under pressure to prove that it can and will disarm Hezbollah, which Israel has set as a precondition for ending its occupation in southern Lebanon.

The “pilot zones” where the Lebanese army is deploying are primarily located just outside the territory Israeli forces had invaded.

The army said on Tue­sday it had begun deploying to one of three pilot zones, the village of Zaw­tar al-Gharbiya. Israel’s military said it would be “adjusting its force posture” in one pilot area.

Hours later, however, the Lebanese army said Israeli forces “opened fire in the vicinity of these units,” adding that the incident would hinder the deployment.

The Israel forces claimed they had only fired “warning shots into the air” after Lebanese soldiers entered an area that was “not part of the pilot area”.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2026