An IDF official stated Thursday evening that Israeli forces will continue operating in what the military calls the "security zone" in southern Lebanon, despite the recent memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. Further negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to address the situation, according to the official.
An IDF official stated Thursday evening that Israel will maintain its military presence in southern Lebanon, asserting that forces will continue to operate in the area the military refers to as the 'security zone' despite the recent US-Iran memorandum of understanding. The official said further negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to address the situation. The statement came around 20:00 Jerusalem, hours after Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed at 19:38 Jerusalem that IDF forces would remain in southern Lebanon 'as long as security needs require it,' as The Zioneer reported.
Thursday's announcement is the latest in a series of Israeli signals on the matter since the early hours of the day. At 10:52 Jerusalem, The Zioneer's first six wire versions reported successive confirmations from senior Israeli officials — first to N12, then to Reuters — that Jerusalem was in 'tough' or 'tenacious' negotiations with Washington and had no intention of withdrawing. The initial version cited an unnamed senior official to N12; by the fourth iteration, multiple officials were cited, and the language hardened from 'tough negotiations' to 'tenacious.' The thread documented no corroboration from Lebanese or American sources, and the source attribution remained 'senior Israeli official' throughout, with the media outlet varying between N12 and Reuters.
Attributed background from The Zioneer's recent coverage places the statements in a broader diplomatic context. As reported on Tue Jun 16, Israel's security establishment stressed that the US-Iran deal does not limit IDF operations in Lebanon and that the military was deepening its maneuver there. On Mon Jun 15, sources described a conditional restraint posture — no withdrawal, but no strikes if the ceasefire held. On Fri Jun 12, a senior Israeli official said Iran's effort to link the Lebanon and nuclear fronts had failed. Iran, for its part, stated on Thu Jun 11 that it would not accept Israeli forces remaining in southern Lebanon.
What remains open: the fate of the expected Israel-Lebanon negotiations and whether Washington will publicly endorse the IDF's continued presence. No confirmation from US or Lebanese officials has been provided, and the US-Iran MoU's precise bearing on the issue has not been officially clarified by either Washington or Tehran. The timeline for any withdrawal, if one is ultimately agreed, has not been set.
7 developments
- StrongKatz: IDF will stay in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza security zones indefinitely, rejects withdrawal pressure
- DevelopingIsrael’s security establishment stresses commitment to northern defense as US-Iran deal takes effect
- DevelopingMilitary analyst: IDF retains freedom of action in southern Lebanon, no withdrawal from occupied areas
- StrongSenior Israeli official: Lebanon line holds as Iran fails to link fronts
Source and signal
- Internal intake