Israel Prepares Limited South Lebanon Withdrawal Under U.S.-Backed Deal as IDF Holds Hezbollah Tunnel Network

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Israel is preparing to hand two limited areas in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army under a U.S.-backed framework agreement, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists the IDF will remain in most of the security zone until Hezbollah is disarmed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a small security cabinet meeting Sunday evening as Israel prepared for a limited, phased handover of two areas in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese Armed Forces under a U.S.-mediated framework agreement.

The areas, described as “pilot zones,” are intended to test whether the Lebanese army can assume effective security control and remove Hezbollah’s presence before any broader Israeli withdrawal takes place. The zones are located in the Nabatieh region, near Frun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, though the exact boundaries and timetable remain unclear.

Israel is currently waiting for the Lebanese army to declare its readiness to enter the areas, as well as for approval from U.S. Central Command, which is helping coordinate and monitor implementation. The United States is serving as the main mediator and overseer of the process.

The Washington framework, signed in late June, calls for Lebanon’s army to gradually restore sovereign authority over Lebanese territory, including the verified disarmament of Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups. In exchange, Israel would gradually redeploy forces out of Lebanese territory once security conditions are met. Reuters reported that the agreement leaves Israeli troops in parts of southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the Lebanese army assumes control.

Netanyahu said last week the agreement marked “a severe blow to Iran and Hezbollah,” arguing that Israel had resisted pressure to withdraw from southern Lebanon without enforceable security guarantees.

“Israel remains in the yellow zone, the security zone that protects us,” Netanyahu said, according to Israeli media. He added that the IDF had determined the two pilot areas were not essential from a security standpoint, while stressing that Israel would not be forced out of areas it still considers necessary for the defense of northern communities.

The framework agreement also reportedly includes an unpublished military annex dealing with implementation details, including a Lebanese commitment to search for the remains of missing Israelis, including navigator Ron Arad.

Under the deal, working groups are expected to continue talks toward a broader peace and security agreement. The agreement also calls for both sides to stop adversarial actions in international legal and diplomatic forums, while the United States and other partners are expected to support reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Lebanon. France welcomed the framework, saying it should help restore Lebanese sovereignty, establish state control over weapons, and allow the withdrawal of Israeli forces if the terms are implemented.

However, the deal faces strong opposition from Hezbollah and its allies. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the U.S.-brokered agreement, warning it could deepen internal divisions, while Hezbollah has rejected the framework as surrender.

Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir visited Israeli forces at Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon on Sunday, where he said Israeli troops had gained operational control of Hezbollah’s underground tunnel network beneath the strategic high ground.

“The Beaufort area is dominant terrain saturated with terrorist infrastructure,” Zamir said, according to the IDF. He said Hezbollah, funded and directed by Iran, had spent decades carving underground tunnel networks into the mountain to threaten northern Israeli communities.

Zamir said the tunnels had been used as command centers, firing positions, and staging areas for attacks against Israel. He added that Israeli troops now control both the key terrain above ground and the tunnel network beneath it.

The IDF chief called on the Lebanese army to fulfill its commitments under the ceasefire and framework agreement by clearing the area of Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure.

“The IDF will continue to operate decisively to remove threats from Lebanese territory and is prepared to transition rapidly to offensive operations should the ceasefire be violated,” Zamir said.

He praised the 36th Division and Northern Command forces for their operations in southern Lebanon, saying they had crossed the Litani River, surprised Hezbollah, and weakened the Iranian-backed terror group.

“The military achievements you secured weakened Hezbollah,” Zamir told soldiers. “It is exhausted and was defeated in every engagement with our forces, and it is now relying on its Iranian patron to save it.”

The Beaufort Ridge area has long carried major strategic value because of its commanding view over key routes and communities in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. Regional reports have described it as one of the most significant military and geopolitical points in the area, making it a crucial test case for any future security arrangement.

Netanyahu also rejected reports that President Donald Trump had pressured Israel not to act against Hezbollah tunnels in Lebanon, calling the claim “fake news.”

“We operate according to our own considerations,” Netanyahu said.

The emerging test for the agreement is whether the Lebanese Armed Forces can actually assert control in areas long dominated by Hezbollah. For Israel, the issue is not merely diplomatic; it is a question of whether northern Israeli families can return to their homes without living under the threat of Iranian-backed rockets, tunnels, and terror infrastructure.

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