Lebanon Army Pilot in South Lebanon Faces Israeli Security Pushback

Israel and Lebanon are in talks over a new security pilot in southern Lebanon that could hand some areas to the Lebanese Army after U.S.-based vetting and training. Under the draft arrangement, Israel would keep operating in the buffer zone for monitoring and control.

The plan, reported by Reuters, is intended to ensure the Lebanese troops are not tied to Hezbollah. The article says the soldiers would undergo background checks and training in the United States before taking responsibility for selected areas in the south.

Despite the talks, Israeli security officials oppose the idea of relying on any international mechanism beyond direct Israeli-American coordination. They say any future arrangement must fully remove terror infrastructure and prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing itself in the area.

A senior security official said the political leadership has decided Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon while active terror infrastructure, armed militants, or a direct threat to northern Israeli communities remains. Officials also stressed that any future deal would require full demilitarization and long-term stability. Meanwhile, the IDF continues to locate and destroy Hezbollah underground facilities in southern Lebanon, including command posts, weapons depots, and subterranean compounds built over years to let the group keep operating under fire.