Israel and Lebanon Near Limited Border Pullback Deal, Despite Public Denials

A deal is taking shape in Washington that would see the Israel Defense Forces withdraw from a small section of southern Lebanon and hand control there to the Lebanese Army, with the United States supervising implementation. The report, published by N12 and based on details from the fifth round of Israel-Lebanon talks mediated by Washington, says the move is being treated as a pilot project to test whether the Lebanese Army can hold the area and keep Hezbollah out.

The area in question lies partly south of the Litani River and, according to Israel, has been cleared as much as possible of Hezbollah activity. Under the emerging understanding, Israeli troops would leave the site, Lebanese forces would enter, and US personnel in the area would monitor compliance. A senior Israeli official told N12 that progress is being made cautiously, saying, "We are advancing step by step." He added, "If this succeeds, we will see the pilot expand."

Several disputes remain unresolved. Lebanon wants Israel to withdraw from a larger area than Jerusalem is currently prepared to concede. The sides also differ over the precise borders of the zone, with Israel seeking to limit the pullback as much as possible within the yellow line, and over the pace of the withdrawal, both for the initial pilot and any later expansion.

The current round of talks, which has been taking place for three straight days at the US State Department, is expected to end today. Israel’s goal is to launch the pilot, while also sending a broader message that Israel and Lebanon are handling the issue themselves, without Iranian diktat or Hezbollah pressure. That comes amid conflicting reports in recent days about an Israeli withdrawal already under way, claims Israeli security officials strongly denied, insisting the IDF has not yet left any point in the security belt.