Two sources briefed on the talks say understandings are crystallizing in Washington for a limited Israeli withdrawal from small areas in southern Lebanon to allow the Lebanese army to enter, as part of a pilot program — but the withdrawal has not yet begun and Israel will continue to control most of southern Lebanon. According to reports by Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio).
New understandings are crystallizing in the ongoing Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington on a limited and gradual Israeli withdrawal from small areas in southern Lebanon as a pilot program, according to two sources briefed on the negotiations as of Thursday midday. The withdrawal has not yet begun and Israeli forces remain in place, with the talks at the Pentagon focused on the pace, scale, and exact coordinates of the initial pullback. This development follows a week of conflicting signals: on Tuesday Jun 23 at 20:11 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported that Israel was preparing to withdraw from additional areas despite earlier pledges; later that evening, a US official confirmed the planned withdrawal to Reuters and then asserted that Israel had already withdrawn from parts of the security zone—a claim denied by both Israeli and Lebanese officials later that night at 20:11 Jerusalem.
On Wednesday Jun 24, negotiations opened at the Pentagon, with sides reportedly disagreeing over pace and specific areas but expecting some pullback from military positions, as The Zioneer reported at 21:22 Jerusalem. By Thursday Jun 25 at 09:05 Jerusalem, The Zioneer cited three senior Israeli officials telling Reuters that Israel and Lebanon are discussing a US pilot program under which Israeli forces would hand over territory to armed Lebanese forces that would undergo US training and approval. The current sources now report that understandings are emerging on a pilot framework, but the IDF retains control of most of southern Lebanon.
As The Zioneer reported on Monday Jun 22, the IDF was reducing forces in southern Lebanon ahead of the pilot phase amid US pressure, described as a goodwill gesture before the negotiations. The broader context: the November 2024 ceasefire understandings, which mandated a parallel Lebanese army deployment and IDF withdrawal, remain stalled, as The Zioneer reported on Jun 13.
What remains open: the exact scope and timeline of the pilot, whether it will be expanded beyond small areas, and the crucial test of the Lebanese army's ability to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing itself in vacated territory.
6 developments
- DevelopingIsrael and Lebanon discuss US pilot plan for handover of southern Lebanon territory
- DevelopingIsrael and US reach new understandings on Lebanon front, Israel Hayom reports
- DevelopingLebanon demands 'clear, specific timeframe' for Israeli withdrawal, US source tells Al-Hadath
- DevelopingReport: Lebanon-Israel talks atmosphere improves, US hopes for agreement
Source and signal
- Internal intake