Reuters reports that Israel has pulled back from parts of the security zone it established in southern Lebanon, citing unnamed officials. The extent and precise locations of the withdrawal remain unspecified, and the IDF has not issued an official statement.
Reuters reported at 11:53 Jerusalem, citing a US official, that Israel has withdrawn from parts of the security zone in southern Lebanon and that Lebanese army forces will deploy in the vacated positions. The report does not specify which sectors are affected or the timeline of the pullout. The IDF has not immediately commented.
This update follows a thread of three published versions this morning (version 1 at 11:53 Jerusalem reported a US official saying Israel had withdrawn; version 2 at 11:53 confirmed the withdrawal via Reuters; version 3 at 11:53 added that Lebanese army forces would deploy in vacated positions). The source progression remained consistent — a single US official speaking anonymously to Reuters — without corroboration from an Israeli source or the IDF. An earlier background report (June 16, 23:22 Jerusalem) from a single Arabic-language source claimed Israeli vehicles pulled back from Khiam, but that remained unverified.
As The Zioneer reported on June 23, 20:12 Jerusalem (background), Israel was preparing to withdraw from additional areas in southern Lebanon contrary to earlier pledges, citing security sources. Also background: a decline in IDF strike tempo across southern Lebanon was noted on June 12, 15:59 Jerusalem, and a pause in airstrikes was reported on June 15, 15:40 Jerusalem — both consistent with a possible de-escalation ahead of a diplomatic arrangement.
What remains open: the specific zones, the number of troops involved, the exact timeline, and whether the Lebanese army deployment has begun. No official IDF or Israeli government confirmation has been issued.
5 developments
- DevelopingUS State Department says Israel withdrew from part of Lebanon buffer zone; IDF denies
- DevelopingIsrael advances diplomatic initiative in Lebanon to ease Trump pressure, sources say
- DevelopingIsraeli officials dismiss reports of IDF withdrawal from points in Lebanon
- DevelopingIDF says Lebanon withdrawal to be discussed in US talks next week
Source and signal
- Internal intake