Lebanon’s army says its troops have begun deploying to a “pilot area” in the south of the country following the withdrawal of Israeli forces under a US-brokered deal reached last month.

A statement from the army command said units had entered the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in Nabatieh district on Tuesday morning.

On Monday night, the Israeli military confirmed the start of the pilot zone plan, which should see the withdrawal of Israeli troops from a small part of the territory occupied during its conflict with Hezbollah, as well as the disarmament of the Iranian-backed group.

It came ahead of a meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump and his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun.

Aoun was expected to urge Trump to pressure Israel to withdraw from the rest of southern Lebanon and provide support to the Lebanese army to take full control of areas where Hezbollah has influence.

“I told him [Trump] I need two things from you: political support and support for the LAF. [Lebanese Armed Forces]”Aoun told reporters in the Oval Office.

Speaking alongside Aoun, Trump pledged that the United States would provide aid to Lebanon after it had been “hard hit” for decades.

“It has been a very mistreated place and country, and we are going to treat it appropriately,” he said. “And treated with the respect he deserves.”

The US State Department announced on Monday afternoon that “pilot zone operations” had begun in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh and two other Lebanese villages, Froun and Srifa, in line with the trilateral framework agreement between Israel, Lebanon and the United States.

He said the “milestone” was a direct result of last week’s discussions between Israeli and Lebanese representatives in Rome.

Later on Monday, an Israeli military official confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would “adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas” to allow the Lebanese army to carry out its mission, while also “safeguarding the security of IDF soldiers and preserving their right to self-defense and eliminate threats.”

“The objective of the pilot and the agreement is the disarmament of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and the withdrawal of its illegal weapons,” the official stated.

They also reiterated that the IDF would remain in the “security zone” – the 10-kilometer (six-mile) deep strip of occupied Lebanese territory that runs along the border – for “as long as necessary” to defend communities in northern Israel.

Hezbollah has rejected negotiations between the Lebanese government, Israel and the United States, while Israel has said it will not completely withdraw from the country until Hezbollah is completely disarmed.

According to Trump, the United States has “concrete plans” to help Lebanon develop the capacity to disarm Hezbollah, but he did not provide details.

“They are also becoming much more self-sufficient,” Trump said of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Additionally, Trump said he would speak directly with Hezbollah representatives if President Aoun requested it.