Key facts
- Israel has withdrawn from some occupied territory in southern Lebanon.
- A U.S. State Department official described the withdrawal as a demonstration of good faith toward Lebanon's government.
- Lebanon's armed forces are expected to move into cleared areas to remove weapons and infrastructure.
- The pullback complicates ongoing U.S.-Iran peace talks aimed at halting fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
- Iran has insisted on an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon as a condition for broader peace.
Israel has withdrawn from some of the southern Lebanese territory it occupied during its conflict with Hezbollah, a U.S. State Department official announced, characterizing the move as a significant demonstration of good faith toward Lebanon’s legitimate government. The official stated that Lebanon's armed forces should now step in to clear out weapons and infrastructure, a model that could be repeated across southern Lebanon to enable the safe return of displaced families and reconstruction.
This development complicates ongoing peace talks between the U.S. and Iran, which are partly aimed at halting the fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Iran has insisted on a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon as a condition for broader peace, a stance previously articulated by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who had stated that Israeli troops would not withdraw. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the reported pullback, and a senior Lebanese security official stated they were unaware of any withdrawal from Israel's so-called "buffer zone."
The U.S. official did not specify the amount of territory from which Israel withdrew or the exact location of the pullback. The U.S. has been brokering talks between Israel and Lebanon aimed at a permanent cessation of hostilities. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is touring Arab Gulf states to address concerns that a recent accord with Iran is too conciliatory and could empower Tehran, with disagreements persisting over nuclear site inspections and the use of any unfrozen Iranian funds.