Reuters quoted three Israeli officials as saying that Israel and Lebanon are discussing a pilot project supported by America, under which Israel will hand over some lands in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army, in a step that is considered an initial test of the path of withdrawal from limited areas, and the ability of the Lebanese army to deploy and prevent the return of any security vacuum in those areas.
According to officials, the Lebanese army members who will participate in this deployment will undergo American training and security scrutiny, as part of arrangements aimed at making the handover process governed by field and political guarantees, and allowing monitoring of the results of the experiment before expanding it to other areas in the south.
In the same context, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the Israeli army is preparing to withdraw from limited areas in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army replacing it, as part of a test of what it called “the extent of its ability to prevent Hezbollah from regaining control over those areas.”
The broadcasting authority explained that the Israeli army is preparing to carry out a partial withdrawal from specific areas, in light of Israeli reports talking about a trend towards a gradual reduction of ground deployment in the south, after estimates that most of the offensive operations have been completed, and in conjunction with increasing American pressure to push Tel Aviv towards practical steps that open the way for the deployment of the Lebanese army.
The New York Times also reported, citing Israeli officials, that the Israeli military leadership issued new instructions requiring military operations in Lebanon to be limited to a defensive framework only, while Israeli media reported a decision to withdraw “alertness teams” from the north after the ceasefire with Lebanon.
Despite these indicators, the field scene remains fragile, as the Lebanese Civil Defense and official media reported the death of two people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, in the first announcement of martyrs by Israeli fire in 3 days, which reflects the extent of the complications surrounding any attempt to stabilize the truce or transform it into permanent field arrangements.
These developments coincide with the entry into force of a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah, within the current negotiating track between the United States and Iran and related regional files, most notably the Lebanese file, as Washington is trying to push for a formula that prevents renewed confrontation and places the Lebanese army in an advanced position inside the south.
In parallel with American pressure, internal pressure is increasing in Israel, as dozens of families of Israeli army soldiers participating in operations inside Lebanon demanded an end to the fighting and the return of their children to their homes, in an urgent letter they addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
The families stressed in their letter that they would not accept “the sacrifice of their children for external considerations,” considering that the soldiers in the field were “handcuffed,” criticizing the absence of a clear goal for the war in Lebanon, and demanding either the achievement of specific military goals or an immediate end to the fighting and the return of the forces.
These data come after the United States and Iran signed on June 18 a memorandum of understanding stipulating the cessation of fighting on various fronts, including Lebanon, with an emphasis on respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity, at a time when Lebanon adheres to the demand for complete Israeli withdrawal and the extension of state authority through the Lebanese army.
In the background of the scene, there is an additional Israeli fear of the possible Syrian role in Lebanon, as Israeli Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu will hold a meeting to discuss the Syrian file and its relationship with the Lebanese arena, after statements by US President Donald Trump in which he indicated the possibility of entrusting the task of dealing with Hezbollah to the Syrian leadership.
These statements raised concern in Israel, as they are read as an indication of possible arrangements being discussed behind the scenes, especially with Israeli decision-making circles monitoring indications that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is seeking to formulate a mechanism to expand Damascus’ influence in the Lebanese file.
However, Al-Sharaa later clarified that Trump’s words regarding a possible Syrian military intervention in Lebanon were misunderstood, indicating that Syria has multiple tools to positively influence the Lebanese arena, and that this is linked to the extent of consensus between the Lebanese parties, stressing Damascus’s readiness to sit with all components in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, within consensual political solutions.
Thus, the south appears to be facing a double test: the first is on the ground, represented by the extent to which the pilot project is able to open the door to Israeli withdrawal and hand over specific areas to the Lebanese army; The second is political, related to the ability of Washington, Beirut, and the mediators to transform the fragile ceasefire into a stable path that prevents the establishment of any Israeli security zone inside Lebanon, and returns the field decision to the Lebanese state alone.
