Israel halts further troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon and demands full control in pilot zones

Background: The security agreement between Israel and Lebanon

The backdrop to the conflict is a security agreement that the two neighboring countries had reached in earlier rounds of talks. The AFP news agency quotes the agreement as follows: "Die beiden Nachbarländer hatten sich in früheren Gesprächsrunden auf ein Sicherheitsabkommen verständigt, dass in sogenannten Pilotzonen die libanesischen Streitkräfte, die nicht Konfliktpartei sind, die Kontrolle übernehmen und die Hisbollah-Miliz entwaffnen, während sich die israelische Armee schrittweise aus dem Gebiet zurückzieht."

Israel is therefore making the next step of its own withdrawal explicitly dependent on the progress of the Lebanese armed forces in the already agreed-upon pilot zones. Only once the Lebanese army exercises full control in the two zones and advances the disarmament of the Hezbollah militia there would the Israeli side be willing to vacate additional areas in southern Lebanon.

Under the agreement reached between the two countries, the Lebanese army is not a party to the conflict, but rather assumes a mediating and peacekeeping function in the pilot zones. It is tasked with stabilizing the areas against the Hezbollah militia and ensuring that no heavy weapons or fighters of the militia remain in the zones.

The role of the Lebanese army and the Hezbollah militia

The Hezbollah militia, which has played a central military and political role in the region over many years, is directly affected by the agreement. Its status as a non-state armed organization is called into question by the pilot zones, as disarmament is one of the central conditions of the Israeli-Lebanese agreement.

According to both sides, negotiations over the implementation of the agreement are being conducted under US mediation. Washington is regarded as the most important external actor pushing for the gradual implementation of the pilot zones and an orderly withdrawal of the Israeli army. The US government sees the agreement as a building block for a broader stabilization of the border region.

US mediation and pressure on the Lebanese government

Israel's refusal to initiate the next withdrawal step increases the pressure on the Lebanese government to swiftly consolidate control over the pilot zones. Observers interpret the current position as an attempt by the Israeli side to enforce measurable progress in the disarmament of the Hezbollah militia before further withdrawing its own troops.

The southern Lebanon region has repeatedly been the scene of cross-border clashes in recent years, in which the Hezbollah militia and the Israeli army were also involved. A complete and verifiable withdrawal of Israeli troops is considered a prerequisite for tensions along the border to ease durably.

Risks for the civilian population in southern Lebanon

The pilot zones are designed as a test case for cooperation between Lebanese armed forces and international mediators. If the Lebanese army manages to establish full control in the zones and carry out the disarmament, this could pave the way for a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army and a broader normalization along the border.

At the same time, the delay carries risks: as long as the Israeli army remains in southern Lebanese territory, the humanitarian and security situation for the civilian population remains tense. The Lebanese government faces the task of assuming control without an escalation with the Hezbollah militia, which is unlikely to relinquish its influence in the region without resistance.

According to diplomats, the further course of developments remains closely tied to US mediation. Further talks in Washington and Rome are intended to clarify how the conditions for the handover of the pilot zones can be met and under what concrete steps the Israeli army will continue its withdrawal.

The AFP news agency was the first to report on Israel's refusal to withdraw troops from the additional areas. The news agency referred to Lebanese government officials who publicly disclosed the blocking of the next withdrawal step.