A source close to the White House assesses that a US demand for an IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon is imminent, according to a report by Ariel Kahana (Israel Hayom). The report adds that the prime minister's office is bracing for an American "dictate" to withdraw, but Netanyahu has told his staff that leaving the security zone is a "red line."
A source close to the White House told Ariel Kahana of Israel Hayom that a formal US demand for an IDF withdrawal from southern Lebanon is expected — a matter of time. The source said that when it arrives, the demand will present Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu with a very difficult dilemma.
Separately, the report cites sources in the prime minister's circle who also assess an American dictate to withdraw is likely. However, Netanyahu has told his staff that leaving the security zone is a "red line," according to the same report. The prime minister has instructed the IDF to prepare in a manner that protects troops. His office described the situation vis-à-vis the Americans as "certainly challenging."
The report comes amid weeks of reported US pressure on Israel over the northern front, as The Zioneer has documented — including Netanyahu's insistence to President Trump that Israel is not bound by a Lebanon clause in the US-Iran MOU, and subsequent reports of possible compromise proposals such as a "significant force thinning" rather than full withdrawal. The assessment by the White House source, if accurate, represents the most direct warning yet that the Trump administration may shift from persuasion to a formal demand.
2 developments
- StrongIsraeli fears: Trump pressure on Netanyahu over south Lebanon withdrawal to persist after Iran MOU
- StrongKahana calls on Netanyahu to demand Iran's Imam Hussein Brigade leave Lebanon before IDF withdrawal
- DevelopingTrump presses Netanyahu to withdraw from Lebanon by Friday
- DevelopingPM must clarify: The Yellow Line in Lebanon is our red line, senior Israeli figure says
Source and signal
- Internal intake