A senior Israeli security official told journalist Mendy Etzraf that the IDF has not withdrawn and will not withdraw from southern Lebanon. The statement directly rebuts reports that the U.S. administration is pressing Israel to pull back from the area amid diplomatic talks.
A senior Israeli security official told journalist Mendy Etzraf of News Israel Channel that the IDF has not withdrawn and will not withdraw from southern Lebanon — a categorical rebuttal to reported U.S. pressure on Jerusalem to pull back from the area.
The statement comes hours after briefings from senior White House officials, according to the report, suggesting Washington is pressing for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon amid diplomatic discussions. The Israeli official's message echoes a position Prime Minister Netanyahu conveyed directly to U.S. President Trump on Thursday morning, as The Zioneer reported (June 18, 10:17 Jerusalem), and aligns with assessments by IDF analysts that the military retains freedom of action in areas captured south of the Litani.
A diplomatic source told The Zioneer earlier Sunday that the United States is exerting "heavy pressure" on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon. The current statement from the security official, attributed now on the record, represents the clearest Israeli position to date: a flat refusal to cede ground in southern Lebanon, regardless of diplomatic developments on the Iran track or with Beirut.
The report comes from a single source, an Israeli security official speaking to a specific journalist, without independent corroboration or an on-record name. The official's affiliation and exact rank are not specified beyond "senior security official."
- DevelopingMilitary analyst: IDF retains freedom of action in southern Lebanon, no withdrawal from occupied areas
- DevelopingIDF maintains operations in southern Lebanon, military says
- StrongIsrael insists no withdrawal from Lebanon under understandings with Iran
- StrongIsrael will not leave Lebanon but won't strike if ceasefire holds, sources say
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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