US official claims Israel began partial withdrawal from southern Lebanon ‘buffer zone’

BEIRUT/WASHINGTON: A US State Department official said on Thursday that Israel has begun withdrawing from part of the territory it occupied in southern Lebanon, describing the move as a “significant demonstration of good faith” as Washington pushes ahead with efforts to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

The official said that Israel had taken “a concrete step” by pulling back from part of its self-declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon and urged the Lebanese Armed Forces to move into the area.

“The Lebanese Armed Forces should now move in and verifiably clear out terrorist weapons and infrastructure,” the official said, adding that the model could be expanded across southern Lebanon to facilitate the return of displaced residents, reconstruction efforts and the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty.

The US official did not specify how much territory had been vacated or identify the locations involved.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

A senior Lebanese security official said that Beirut was unaware of any Israeli troop withdrawal from the buffer zone.

The reported withdrawal comes as Lebanon and Israel hold US-brokered talks in Washington aimed at reducing tensions along their shared border and advancing arrangements for Israeli forces to hand over occupied territory to the Lebanese military.

Reuters reported earlier that officials from both countries were discussing a US-backed pilot project under which Israeli troops would transfer control of parts of the territory captured during the war to the Lebanese Armed Forces, potentially paving the way for the restoration of Lebanese authority in those areas.

The latest development appears to mark a shift from Israel’s public position only a day earlier.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz insisted Israeli troops would remain in southern Lebanon, saying there was no American demand for Israel to withdraw.

“The IDF is prepared … and we are not retreating,” Katz said at a conference in Tel Aviv. “We announced that in any case we are not withdrawing, and as of this moment — and this is a political achievement — there is no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials have repeatedly said that Israeli forces would remain in what they describe as a security zone in southern Lebanon to protect communities in northern Israel.

The talks in Washington have taken place against the backdrop of a broader US-Iran diplomatic effort to end months of conflict that has destabilised the Middle East.

Iran, Hezbollah’s main backer, has made an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon a key demand in its negotiations with Washington.

“For us, a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important as a ceasefire in Iran, and further, an end to the war in Lebanon is as important as an end to the war in Iran,” Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Wednesday during a meeting in Baku.

Israel has been fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon since early March after the Iran-backed group launched attacks on Israel in support of Tehran, opening a parallel front to the wider regional conflict.

The latest US statement suggesting a partial Israeli withdrawal has not been independently confirmed, and it remains unclear whether the reported move signals the start of a broader redeployment or forms part of a limited confidence-building measure under the ongoing negotiations.