Israeli sources say the IDF will not withdraw from Lebanon, but will refrain from striking if the ceasefire holds, according to The Jerusalem Post. The report comes as Prime Minister Netanyahu has yet to address the reported US-Iran deal's Lebanon clause.
Israeli sources told The Jerusalem Post earlier Monday that Israel will not withdraw its forces from Lebanon, but will also refrain from launching strikes if the ceasefire holds. The statement, reported at 09:46 Jerusalem, adds a new dimension to an already crowded morning of messaging: Defense Minister Israel Katz had by that time already delivered multiple statements rejecting withdrawal — first via N12's Amit Segal, then with a warning to Iran, then a direct criticism of the emerging US-Iran framework, and finally an assertion that Prime Minister Netanyahu had conveyed the position to President Trump. The new element — restraint if the ceasefire holds — was not part of those earlier remarks.
Through the morning, the thread has hardened rather than diverged. At 09:46, Katz was quoted by multiple outlets (N12, N13/Army Radio, i24NEWS) saying the IDF would not withdraw from Lebanon despite all existing and future pressure, and that Netanyahu had made this clear to Trump while Katz himself briefed U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The reports began with a single channel (Segal, N12) and quickly spread to several newsrooms, with Katz also warning Iran that an attack over Lebanon would be met with overwhelming force. The new Post-sourced claim of no-strike-if-ceasefire-holds is thus the first sign of a possible operational red line — a condition under which Israel would stay its hand — but it remains attributed only to unidentified Israeli sources, not to Katz or the Prime Minister's Office.
As The Zioneer reported overnight (Mon 00:36 Jerusalem), the emerging US-Iran framework includes an immediate Lebanon ceasefire clause, with neither party publishing full terms. Commentators reported that President Trump said Netanyahu endorsed the deal, and VP Vance stated Israel committed not to strike Beirut to avoid harming negotiations — claims to which Israeli officials have not yet responded. Earlier, on Sunday (20:52 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported that Netanyahu told Trump Israel is not bound by the Lebanon clause. The framework's Lebanon clause remains the central point of uncertainty.
What remains open: whether the reported posture of restraint reflects a formal policy decision, whether it depends on a specific definition of "ceasefire holds" (including what constitutes a violation), and whether it applies to the entire area south of the Litani or only to certain zones. No official confirmation of the Post's sourcing has been issued.
6 developments
- DevelopingNo official confirmation released on reported US-Iran deal terms for Lebanon
- StrongSenior Israeli official: Lebanon line holds as Iran fails to link fronts
- StrongKatz: IDF will stay in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza security zones indefinitely, rejects withdrawal pressure
- StrongKatz: Netanyahu told Trump Israel won't withdraw from Lebanon, Syria, Gaza security zones
Source and signal
- Internal intake