A US State Department official revealed on Thursday that Israel has initiated a withdrawal from a portion of the area it has occupied in southern Lebanon, calling this action a “notable gesture of goodwill” as Washington advances efforts to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The official described Israel’s move as a “concrete step” involving a pullback from part of its self-declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon and encouraged the Lebanese Armed Forces to enter the vacated area. The official emphasized that the Lebanese military should now take control and systematically remove terrorist weapons and infrastructure.
This approach could potentially be extended throughout southern Lebanon to support the return of displaced residents, promote reconstruction, and restore Lebanese sovereignty over the region. However, the official did not disclose the exact extent of the territory Israel had withdrawn from nor specify the locations involved.
Israel has yet to comment on the reported withdrawal. Meanwhile, a senior Lebanese security official stated that Beirut had no information regarding any Israeli troop pullback from the buffer zone.
The announcement coincides with ongoing US-mediated talks in Washington between Lebanon and Israel, aimed at reducing tensions along their shared border and arranging for Israeli forces to hand over occupied land to the Lebanese military. Discussions reportedly include a US-supported pilot initiative under which Israeli troops would transfer control of certain areas seized during the conflict to the Lebanese Armed Forces, potentially enabling the restoration of Lebanese authority in those zones.
Notably, this development marks a shift from Israel’s stance just a day earlier. On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz asserted that Israeli troops would remain in southern Lebanon, denying any US demand for withdrawal. Katz stated at a Tel Aviv conference, “The IDF is prepared … and we are not retreating. We announced that in any case we are not withdrawing, and as of this moment — and this is a political achievement — there is no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials have consistently maintained that Israeli forces will continue to occupy what they term a security zone in southern Lebanon to safeguard communities in northern Israel.
The Washington talks are unfolding amid a broader diplomatic effort between the US and Iran to resolve months of conflict destabilizing the Middle East. Iran, Hezbollah’s principal supporter, has made an end to Israeli military actions in Lebanon a key condition in its negotiations with Washington.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf highlighted the importance of a ceasefire in Lebanon, stating on Wednesday in Baku, “For us, a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important as a ceasefire in Iran, and further, an end to the war in Lebanon is as important as an end to the war in Iran.”
The conflict began in early March when Hezbollah, backed by Iran, launched attacks on Israel, opening a second front in the wider regional confrontation.
While the US announcement suggests a partial Israeli withdrawal, this has not been independently verified. It remains uncertain whether this step represents the beginning of a broader redeployment or is merely a limited confidence-building measure within the ongoing negotiations.
