Israel Weighs Limited Pullbacks in South Lebanon Ahead of Washington Talks

Israeli officials are considering limited withdrawals from parts of southern Lebanon, including the Beaufort area, ahead of renewed talks with Lebanon in Washington on Tuesday. At the same time, they stress that holding the so-called yellow line remains a red line, and that no American request has been made for an Israeli pullback.

The discussions took place over the past 24 hours in the security establishment and the political leadership, alongside contacts between Jerusalem and Washington at all levels. According to officials familiar with the talks, the idea under review is not a broad retreat, but small adjustments in areas where the IDF has been operating beyond the 10-kilometer line.

There is disagreement in Israel over the Beaufort position. Some argue its symbolic value means Israel should keep it, while others say a withdrawal would signal an Israeli initiative to improve ties with Lebanon. Israeli officials say any move on the ground should be presented as the result of Israel-Lebanon dialogue, not as a step forced by pressure or by Iran.

The IDF is still operating in southern Lebanon. Today, Division 91 exposed an underground Hezbollah site in the village of Majdal Zun, about 10 kilometers from the Israeli border, an area reached for the first time during the operation. The military said the facility was part of infrastructure used to launch drones toward Israel.

Tuesday’s talks will continue a process that began last month with American mediation, when Israel linked any further withdrawal from southern Lebanon to concrete action by the Lebanese army against Hezbollah. U.S. officials said last week that Washington is not demanding an Israeli withdrawal from the yellow line as a condition for an agreement. President Isaac Herzog told Fox News that Israel wants a political arrangement with Lebanon, but said, "You cannot talk about peace when Hezbollah hijacked Lebanon," calling to remove Iran from the equation and disarm Hezbollah. In parallel, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated their demand for a permanent ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal, Lebanese army deployment to the border, and reconstruction.