A US State Department official told Reuters that Israel had withdrawn from parts of the security zone in southern Lebanon. According to the official, the move was "a gesture of goodwill" toward the Lebanese government.
Israel has yet to issue an official response to the report, but a senior Israeli security official denied it in a conversation with Reuters, making clear that Israel's policy is clear: The IDFwill not withdraw from the buffer zone, and its forces are still enforcing control of the area against anyone who approaches it, including Lebanese Army soldiers. Troops on the ground told Israel Hayom, "We have not received any instruction to move from the area where we are stationed."
Several days ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that even amid contacts between Israel and Lebanon in Washington, "We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect our dear residents of the north and all citizens of the state. As prime minister of Israel, I insist on this firmly, and nothing will change that," he said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz also declared Wednesday, "Israel will not withdraw from Lebanon, even if the Americans demand it." Speaking at the Muni Expo 2026 local government conference, Katz added that "the soldiers have full freedom of action to defend themselves."
Yashar! chairman and former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot also addressed the diplomatic sensitivity at the conference, saying, "We have reached a situation in which there has been no approval to blow up tunnels in recent days. The president of the US is asking the president of Syria to deal with Hezbollah. There has never been anything like this."
