IDF Begins Pilot Withdrawal From South Lebanon Villages, Lebanese Army Takes Over

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have initiated a pilot withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon, starting with the village of Farin in the Bint Jbeil sector. This move follows understandings reached during two days of talks in Rome last week, overseen closely by the United States but without military representatives present. The Lebanese Army has entered the vacated areas to clear them of militants and Hezbollah weapons, based on intelligence shared by the IDF. A similar evacuation is planned soon for the nearby village of Randouria, also in the Bint Jbeil area.

According to the agreement, the IDF will return to these locations only after the Lebanese Army confirms the area is free of militants and weaponry, and the IDF verifies this clearance. Senior Northern Command officials emphasize this is a limited pilot and that there are no plans to withdraw from areas where threats remain, including those involved in the recent infiltration attempts into Israeli territory. Residents of villages along the Israel-Lebanon contact line will not be allowed to return under current conditions.

Security assessments indicate that around 1,000 militants remain south of the Litani River, some hiding in tunnels beneath the Ali Taher ridge. The IDF intends to continue monitoring and eliminating threats as necessary. This was demonstrated recently when an IDF unit swiftly neutralized a Hezbollah cell attempting to launch a drone attack near the village of Tabnit, with no casualties reported.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is expected to announce details of the pilot in the coming days, which will continue for an indefinite period pending further agreements between Israel and Lebanon. Currently, there is no timeline for resuming formal negotiations.