Lebanese negotiators are demanding that Israel withdraw from positions close to the border, not just deeper inside southern Lebanon, while Israel insists it will not leave the anti-tank ditch line, according to a report by the Kan public broadcaster. The demand adds a new sticking point in already deadlocked talks.
A new rift has emerged in the Israel-Lebanon negotiations, as Lebanese officials demand that Israel withdraw not only from deeper positions in southern Lebanon but also from points close to the border itself, according to a report by Kan. Israel is refusing to leave the anti-tank ditch line — the forward defensive barrier it holds just inside Lebanese territory — a position that has been a core security demand throughout the talks.
As The Zioneer has reported over the past two weeks, the negotiations have been repeatedly deadlocked over the extent of an IDF withdrawal. Earlier BACKGROUND reports described Iran conditioning any broader deal on a full Israeli pullout from southern Lebanon, and Israeli officials repeatedly stating Jerusalem will not agree to a complete retreat. This latest report — a single-source piece by Kan — adds a geographic dimension: the Lebanese side is pushing for a withdrawal even from close-border positions, not only the deeper positions that were the focus of earlier disagreements.
Kan's report is the first to surface a demand specifically for the close-border points. If confirmed, it could further narrow the diplomatic space, since Israel's anti-tank ditch line is seen by the military as essential to preventing Hezbollah from firing directly across the border into Israeli communities. No official Israeli or Lebanese confirmation has been published beyond Kan's text.
- DevelopingReport: Israel-Lebanon negotiations reach deadlock over IDF withdrawal demands
- StrongIsrael insists no withdrawal from Lebanon under understandings with Iran
- DevelopingIsraeli officials dismiss reports of IDF withdrawal from points in Lebanon
- StrongIran says negotiations will stop if Israel does not withdraw from Lebanon
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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