Israel Affirms No Withdrawal from South Lebanon While Hezbollah Threat Persists

Israel's government announced Thursday its military will not withdraw from South Lebanon while the Hezbollah threat persists there. Hebrew media reports stressed that Hezbollah's disarmament is a prerequisite for an Israeli army withdrawal, noting the need for Lebanese army deployment before any pullout. Israeli authorities clarified that ongoing negotiations with Lebanon focus on the Israeli army's redeployment in South Lebanon. In a related development, a US State Department official revealed a partial Israeli retreat in the South Lebanon buffer zone, a claim Tel Aviv quickly denied. According to Reuters, the US official deemed this a "goodwill gesture" towards the Lebanese government, urging the Lebanese army to deploy in the area. Conversely, Israel emphatically denied the American assertion, with a senior security official telling the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation that no withdrawal has occurred or been decided. Concurrently, Lebanese media, citing a military official, indicated Israeli forces remain stationed in recently occupied territories. Informed American military and political sources had previously disclosed Israel's plans to expand the "Yellow Line" to include approximately 86 villages in South Lebanon.