Jerusalem and Beirut on Thursday denied a report that the Israel Defense Forces had withdrawn from an area in Southern Lebanon as a goodwill gesture to the Lebanese government ahead of negotiations.
The denials came in response to a request for comment from Reuters, after an anonymous U.S. State Department official told the news service that “Israel has already taken a concrete step by pulling back from a part of its buffer zone. This is a significant demonstration of good faith toward Lebanon’s legitimate government.”
The Lebanese Armed Forces “should now move in and verifiably clear out terrorist weapons and infrastructure. This model will be repeated across South Lebanon, enabling the safe return of displaced families, reconstruction of the south, and the restoration of full Lebanese sovereignty,” the official added, according to the report.
The American source was referring to a so-called “pilot zone” offer that reportedly came up during Israeli-Lebanese negotiations, which began before the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Iran was signed last week in Versailles, France.
The pilot reportedly involves the transfer of a designated territory currently under Israeli control to Lebanese state forces. If the LAF demonstrates the capability to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure and prevent the reestablishment of terrorist groups like Hezbollah in the territory, the IDF will continue to hand over more areas in Southern Lebanon.
However, a top Israeli defense official told Reuters that the IDF would not be withdrawing from its established buffer zone.
Additionally, a senior Lebanese military official was cited as saying that events in recent days “show the opposite of a pullback,” adding that Israeli forces are enforcing their hold in the buffer zone, including against state troops, per Reuters.
