Israel Sets Conditions for Any Withdrawal From South Lebanon

Ceasefire talks between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the United States, are expected to resume on Tuesday, with the sides likely to discuss a pilot framework for a settlement on the ground. Security sources say the White House is not exerting real pressure on Israel to leave South Lebanon and understands the direct threat Hezbollah poses to communities near the border.

According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz are distinguishing between areas in South Lebanon that remain under Israeli operational control and can be used for direct fire toward Israeli towns, such as the Beaufort Ridge, and areas from which such fire is not possible, such as Ali Taher Ridge. Israel may tell the Lebanese side, through US mediation, that it agrees to withdraw from areas that cannot be used for direct fire at Israel, but only gradually and only after destroying terror infrastructure above and below ground. If the Lebanese mechanism proves effective, the army may eventually pull out from those areas.

A source familiar with the process said, "The Lebanese will have to prove to us and to the United States that they can confront Hezbollah and destroy terror infrastructure that they have worked on for almost 20 years." Until then, Israeli security and military officials say there is no intention to withdraw from any part of South Lebanon, and the army will keep locating and destroying terror sites. Officials also addressed dozens of militants trapped in the village of Tebnit, where there is an underground system and armed fighters, saying there is no agreement on surrender or handover, and that the focus is also on destroying the tunnel in which they are trapped.

Meanwhile, Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that any Israeli withdrawal from a district would be accompanied by making it free of weapons. Speaking on behalf of Hezbollah, he said the area south of the Litani River should be cleared of weapons if Israel also fulfills its commitments. Berri said he is in constant contact with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and that the common goals are Israeli withdrawal, deployment of the Lebanese army, the return of residents, prisoner releases, and a reconstruction plan backed by Arab and international support. He rejected the idea of "pilot areas," saying it could take two years or more to define them, and argued for a district-by-district timetable for Israeli withdrawal alongside Lebanese army deployment.