Israel plans to bring a pilot proposal to talks opening today in Washington with Lebanon and the United States, suggesting a limited withdrawal from a small area in southern Lebanon. In exchange, the Lebanese army would enter the area under American supervision. A senior Israeli source said, “We are coming with maps to decide what the pilot area in Lebanon will be,” and added that the pilot would be in an area south of the Litani River, meaning south of the “yellow line.”
The three-day negotiating round is expected to end Thursday afternoon and will run in two working groups, one political and one military. The political team will be led by Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Yossi Draznin, the prime minister’s envoy and a senior official in the National Security Council. The military team will be led by Col. Michael Levin, head of the strategy branch, together with acting military attaché Erez Ben-Dov. Israeli officials say the goal is to create confidence-building steps and avoid having terms imposed by the United States or Iran.
At the same time, the IDF is continuing operations at strategic points where its mission is not yet complete, especially Ali Tahar Ridge. There, the army is dealing with a large underground Hezbollah facility and is discussing how to destroy it without harming the talks between the United States and Iran. The area is currently being operated in by the 36th Division, including the Givati Brigade and the 401st Brigade, in a complex logistical and engineering operation.
The military recommendation for destroying the site will be presented to the political leadership, and a decision on the course of action is expected within a few days.
