Israel will open a three-day round of talks in Washington on Tuesday with Lebanon and the United States, and its delegation plans to present a pilot proposal for a partial withdrawal from a small area in southern Lebanon. Under the idea, the Israel Defense Forces would pull back from a defined sector, likely one that has already been relatively cleared, and the Lebanese Army would move in under American supervision.
A senior Israeli source said, “We are coming with maps to decide what the pilot area in Lebanon will be.” The same source added that the pilot would be in territory south of the Litani River, meaning south of the so-called yellow line. Israeli security and government officials are trying to build confidence through limited steps in order to avoid a settlement imposed by either the United States or Iran.
The talks in Washington are scheduled to end Thursday afternoon and will be split into two working groups, one political and one military. The political group will be led by Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Yossi Dreznin, the prime minister’s envoy and a senior official in the National Security Council. The military group will be headed by the chief of the strategy division, Michael Levin, together with acting military attaché Erich Ben-Dov.
At the same time, the IDF continues to operate in strategic positions where its mission is not yet complete, especially Ali Tahar Ridge in southern Lebanon. There, Israeli forces are dealing with a large underground Hezbollah compound and discussing how to destroy it without harming the negotiations between the United States and Iran. Division 36, including the Givati Brigade and the 401st Armored Brigade, is operating in the area, and the army’s recommendation will be brought to the political leadership, with a decision expected within days.
