Sources said on the 24th Israel is considering withdrawing IDF forces from
limited areas of southern Lebanon as US-hosted Israel-Lebanon talks enter a
fifth round. The talks, which began on the 23rd and are expected to run through
the 25th, are discussing vacating sections south of the UN Blue Line that IDF
now holds; an Israeli official told Channel 13 the pullback would cover only a
“small slice” — a few percent — of the relevant area. The proposed package,
pushed by the US, would see US forces train the Lebanese army to deploy into and
secure vacated zones and certify that forces entering those areas are Lebanese
army personnel rather than Hezbollah. Israel has reportedly instructed the IDF
it may operate freely within the Blue Line and act against imminent threats but
must not conduct operations in more distant areas such as Beirut and Tire;
Israeli sources say US restrictions on Israeli action across multiple fronts
have recently increased.
