IDF Chief Warns Pullback From Lebanon Buffer Line Could Restore Hezbollah Raid Threat

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has warned in closed-door discussions that withdrawing from the so-called yellow line in southern Lebanon would bring back the threat of a Hezbollah raid into northern Israel. According to the report, Zamir said the IDF presence in the area has removed that threat, and that a pullback would allow Hezbollah fighters to return to the other side of the border fence. He repeated that message in recent days, and said publicly from southern Lebanon that the IDF's mission remains the defense of northern communities and Israeli civilians.

At the political level, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have sent a unified message that Israel’s goal is to remain within the yellow line. The report says the issue is especially sensitive because, while the military and political leadership are aligned for now, growing U.S. pressure could eventually force a withdrawal from southern Lebanon. That possibility, the report adds, is viewed in Israel as a serious problem.

The report also says Israel is weighing “small withdrawals” from areas in southern Lebanon, including the Beaufort area, ahead of renewed talks with Lebanon in Washington on Tuesday. Over the past day, there have been multiple consultations in the defense establishment and the political leadership, along with contacts between Jerusalem and Washington at all levels. Officials familiar with the talks said no American demand for an IDF withdrawal has been received so far.

The proposed moves are meant to appear as Israeli initiative tied to dialogue with the Lebanese government, not as a concession to Iranian pressure. Some officials argue the Beaufort should be held for its symbolic value, while others say leaving it could signal a willingness to improve ties with Lebanon. Meanwhile, IDF forces continue operating in southern Lebanon, and Division 91 recently uncovered a strategic Hezbollah underground site in Majdal Zun, about 10 kilometers from the Israeli border, which the military says was part of infrastructure used to launch drones toward Israel.