A senior Israeli official confirms to an Israeli journalist that the IDF will withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon, to be replaced by the Lebanese army, according to Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio). The official says the framework currently includes two designated withdrawal zones. The confirmation follows weeks of contradictory signals and unconfirmed reports about a partial IDF pullback.
A senior Israeli official has confirmed on the record that the IDF will withdraw from two pilot zones in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army taking over security control in those areas. The confirmation, given to journalists Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio) at 20:04 Jerusalem time Friday evening, is the first direct on-record acknowledgment of a framework that had until now only been reported as an unconfirmed Al Jazeera claim and Lebanese source assertions.
The thread on this development began at 19:52 Jerusalem Friday, when an unconfirmed Al Jazeera report first cited a Lebanese source saying agreement had been reached on two withdrawal areas. Within minutes, Asraf reported a Lebanese source claiming the pilot zones were a prelude to full withdrawal. At 20:04, the senior Israeli official's confirmation moved the story from sourced claims to an on-record official statement — the strongest corroboration yet in the sequence.
This confirmation follows weeks of contradictory signals from Israeli officials, as The Zioneer has reported. On June 22, a senior official stated the IDF would remain in a security zone to protect northern communities. On June 18, Channel 14's Noam Amir assessed the IDF would hold Beaufort and the Hermon Ridge while withdrawing from Nabatieh and the Litani line. Reports as early as June 13 suggested Nabatieh would be the first pilot zone, and on June 25, Channel 12 reported Israel was heading toward partial withdrawal despite public denials.
The two pilot zones have not been identified by name in the official's statement. The timeline for the withdrawal, the status of other areas under IDF control in southern Lebanon, and whether this partial pullback indeed serves as a prelude to full withdrawal — as Lebanese sources have claimed — remain unconfirmed.
6 developments
- DevelopingMilitary analyst: IDF retains freedom of action in southern Lebanon, no withdrawal from occupied areas
- DevelopingSenior Israeli security official: IDF will not withdraw from southern Lebanon
- StrongIDF: Forces remain in southern Lebanon following political directive
- DevelopingIDF maintains operations in southern Lebanon, military says
Source and signal
- Internal intake