IDF expected to scale back forces in southern Lebanon as pilot zones are discussed

The IDF is expected to gradually reduce the number of ground troops deployed in southern Lebanon, Channel 13 reported Sunday. The drawdown is based on the assessment that most offensive missions have been completed and that not all soldiers now stationed in the security belt are still needed.

Another reason is an expected meeting this week between Israeli and Lebanese negotiating teams, where pilot zones in southern Lebanon will be mapped out. These areas are supposed to be cleared of Hezbollah, and the Lebanese Army will take responsibility for ensuring the group cannot reestablish control there. A senior Israeli source said the IDF will not withdraw from the anti-tank line, also known as the yellow line, about 8 kilometers from the border, but may pull back from areas captured recently during the talks.

The United States wants Israel to return its forces to that line, which is intended to protect northern Israeli communities from anti-tank fire. Over the past two months, Israel expanded its deployment in southern Lebanon beyond that boundary.

Meanwhile, the ceasefire in Lebanon has held, and no unusual incidents were reported over the past day in the Israeli security zone after the political leadership ordered the IDF to stop firing. One major focus remains the Ali Tahar ridge south of Nabatieh, where Hezbollah built a fortified underground command center over 20 years and is believed to have stored Iranian-made ballistic missiles. Israeli troops are on the ridge but have not entered the complex, and the military has frozen operations while waiting for decisions, partly to avoid disrupting US-Iran talks in Switzerland. Israeli security officials said the militants inside the bunker are not an immediate threat because they are trapped there.