Israeli forces withdrew from a southern Lebanese town on Wednesday, handing control to the Lebanese military as part of a cease-fire agreement, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The command's leader Gen. Erik Kurilla "was present at the implementation and monitoring headquarters today during the ongoing first Israeli Defense Forces withdrawal and Lebanese Armed Forces replacement in Al-Khiam, Lebanon, as part of the (ceasefire) agreement," CENTCOM said in a statement.
"This is an important first step in the implementation of a lasting cessation of hostilities and lays the foundation for continued progress," the statement quoted Kurilla as saying.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the stationing of troops "in the Khiam and Marjayoun areas today represents a fundamental step toward strengthening the army's deployment in the south, in implementation of the cease-fire decision."
"We salute the army's efforts" toward establishing "stability in the south," Mikati said in a post on X.
The Israeli military meanwhile said its 7th Brigade had "concluded their mission in Khiam in southern Lebanon."
"In accordance with the cease-fire understandings and with the coordination of the United States, soldiers of the Lebanese Armed Forces are being deployed in the area together" with UNIFIL, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the area, the Israeli statement said.
The Pentagon later said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had spoken to his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, and told him the United States was working with its partners to support the cease-fire.
Austin "emphasized that the cease-fire ... has the potential to create the conditions to restore lasting calm and enable residents on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border to return safely to their homes," the U.S. readout said.
Israel stepped up its military campaign in south Lebanon in late September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges begun by Hezbollah in support of its ally Hamas, following the Palestinian group's Oct. 7, 2023 incursion of southern Israel.
A cease-fire came into effect on Nov. 27 and is generally holding, though both sides have accused the other of repeated violations.
As part of the agreement, the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers will deploy in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws over a period of 60 days.
Hezbollah is also meant to withdraw its forces north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and dismantle its military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
