Israeli sources on the 5th said the Israel Defense Forces are preparing a
partial withdrawal from southern Lebanon and plan to establish a smaller
"security zone" closer to the Israel–Lebanon border. The move follows a recent
operation that destroyed Hezbollah tunnels beneath the Arita-hir highlands in
the southern nebetiyeh area; under the proposal the IDF would reduce the depth
of its control in southern Lebanon from about 10 km to roughly 3–4 km and
replace the existing "yellow line" with a new "grey line." The plan requires
Israeli government approval and envisages new military bases inside the reduced
zone to protect northern Israeli population centers and stage operations from
there.
