Israeli Army Radio reported that the army will soon conduct replacement operations between the brigades deployed in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, in a move that reflects a field rearrangement on more than one front, amid continuing security tension in the south and after the signing of the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel under American sponsorship.
According to what Al Jazeera reported, the Israeli army will reduce the number of its forces in southern Lebanon, and will withdraw part of the combat brigades to re-raise their readiness, indicating that it is moving towards a phase of change and new deployment, without this necessarily meaning a complete withdrawal from the areas in which it is stationed.
This information comes at a sensitive time, as the issue of the Israeli presence in southern Lebanon is still the focus of widespread political and military tension, especially after the framework agreement that established a mechanism to discuss security arrangements, the deployment of the Lebanese army, and the path of gradual withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
The talk about changing brigades also coincides with the continued military pressure on the Israeli army in more than one arena, from Gaza to the Lebanese front, which makes the redistribution of forces and increasing readiness part of the calculations for the next stage, whether in terms of reducing the burden on the deployed units, or preparing for new field possibilities.
The implications of this step remain linked to whether the reduction of forces will translate on the ground into a withdrawal from specific points in the south, or whether it falls only within an internal change of brigades and a reorganization of deployment, in light of Lebanon’s adherence to a complete Israeli withdrawal, and Israel’s insistence on linking any field retreat to security conditions related to southern Lebanon.
