Israel to withdraw troops from Lebanon only after Hezbollah disarmed, says government

Israel declared on Thursday that its forces will not leave southern Lebanon until the powerful Iran-backed militia Hezbollah is disarmed. The announcement came amid US-mediated talks between the two nations in Washington.

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We will not withdraw our forces from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains a threat, are not disarmed and are not demilitarised.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer stated in a briefing that "We will not withdraw our forces from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains a threat, are not disarmed and are not demilitarised." He emphasized Israel's responsibility to its northern citizens and the entire country, asserting that any troop redeployment would only occur after Hezbollah's demilitarization and disarmament.

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We are making extremely clear that our responsibility is to our northern citizens and to the whole of Israel, and we will not allow any terrorist force anywhere near our border - which means that any redeployment of IDF forces comes after, not before, but after the demilitarisation of southern Lebanon and the disarming of Hezbollah.

The current round of three-day talks in Washington, initiated under US pressure in April, was expected to conclude on Thursday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented that the neighbors were close to a "commitment of intent." Mencer recalled a previous situation in 2024 where Hezbollah was supposed to be disarmed but was not, highlighting a lack of trust. The Israeli military has conducted extensive airstrikes in Lebanon and deployed troops into the country's south since Hezbollah joined the conflict in March.

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We've already been in this situation in 2024. Hezbollah were supposed to be disarmed. They weren't.