Israel says it will keep troops in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed

Israel has said it will not withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon while Hezbollah remains armed, as US-mediated talks in Washington enter their latest three-day round. The statement sharpens an already sensitive dispute over the future of the border area and the conditions for any Israeli pullback. It also comes as officials on both sides are trying to define whether the talks can produce even a limited political understanding.

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Government spokesman David Mencer said Israel would not withdraw as long as Hezbollah remained a threat and was not disarmed or demilitarised. Defence Minister Israel Katz has also said Israel opposes withdrawing from the so-called security zone in Lebanon, despite pressure to do so. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two neighbours were close to a "commitment of intent", suggesting the negotiations may be nearing a preliminary political formula rather than a final settlement.

The talks are taking place against the backdrop of continued Israeli military activity in Lebanon. The supplied material says the Israeli military launched widespread airstrikes in Lebanon and sent troops into the south after Hezbollah entered the wider Middle East war on the side of Iran in March. Mencer said any redeployment of Israeli forces would come only after the demilitarisation of southern Lebanon and the disarming of Hezbollah.

He also said Israel had already been in a similar situation in 2024, when Hezbollah was supposed to be disarmed but was not. The issue matters because it goes to the core of how any border arrangement would be enforced. Israel says it wants the area handed over to the Lebanese army, but the current talks do not include Hezbollah, which raises questions about how any commitment could be implemented on the ground.

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The dispute also affects the wider security balance along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, where Israeli officials say they want to prevent armed groups from operating near the border. The latest comments also follow conflicting claims over whether Israel has already made a partial pullback. A US official said Israel had taken a concrete step by pulling back from part of its buffer zone as a gesture of good faith toward Lebanon's government.

Senior Israeli and Lebanese officials later denied that any withdrawal had taken place, and an Israeli defence official rejected the suggestion of a pullback. The disagreement highlights how fragile the diplomatic process remains, even as the sides continue to talk. What remains unclear is whether the Washington talks will produce a formal commitment, and whether that would lead to any change in Israeli deployments in southern Lebanon.

It is also not clear how Lebanon's authorities or Hezbollah would respond if Israel keeps forces in place while insisting on disarmament first. The next developments to watch are the outcome of the current round of talks, any official US statement on the proposed commitment, and whether the dispute over the buffer zone escalates further.

Israel's defence minister has said Israeli forces will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, even if the United States were to demand it. The statement, made in Tel Aviv, adds fresh strain to the US-Iran peace framework and the ceasefire arrangements linked to the conflict involving Hezbollah in Lebanon. It also underlines a widening gap between Israel's stated security aims and the diplomatic direction of the talks.

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Israel Katz said the Israel Defense Forces were prepared to remain in place and that Israel was "not retreating". He said there was, at present, no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, describing that as a political achievement. His comments came after a memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran last week halted the war and imposed a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The row centres on an Israeli-controlled security zone in southern Lebanon that stretches across the border and into Lebanese territory. Israel has said it wants to hand the area over to the Lebanese army, which would be responsible for keeping it free of Hezbollah fighters. But the US-mediated talks on withdrawal do not include Hezbollah, raising questions about how effective any arrangement can be in practice.

The issue matters because the ceasefire has not stopped violence on the ground. Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike on a vehicle near Kfar Rumman on Wednesday killed two people, while an Israeli military official confirmed a strike against Hezbollah operatives. The Israeli military also said troops from the Givati Brigade's Reconnaissance Unit had targeted two Hezbollah fighters near the Ali Taher ridge area close to Nabatieh, saying they posed a threat to forces operating in the security zone.

The dispute also reflects the wider fragility of the diplomatic deal that followed the US-Iran memorandum. According to the report, Iran had insisted that Israel stop its campaign in Lebanon and withdraw its troops, while Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran was "agreeing to everything I want". Israel's refusal to commit to a pullout therefore complicates the ceasefire's implementation and could affect the broader regional understanding that was meant to reduce hostilities.

What remains unclear is whether Washington will press Israel more directly on withdrawal, and whether the Lebanese army could realistically take over the area under current conditions. It is also uncertain how Hezbollah will respond if Israeli forces stay in the security zone while strikes continue. The next developments to watch are any formal US position, further Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon, and whether the ceasefire framework can survive the current disagreement.

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