Israel to begin partial withdrawal from south Lebanon under new deal

Israel and Lebanon have reached a framework agreement for a partial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, a step tied to efforts to disarm Hezbollah, even as significant obstacles remain.

Under the deal, Israeli forces are to pull out of two areas within a buffer zone in the south, to be replaced by Lebanese troops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the arrangement would allow Israel to remain in the buffer zone until Hezbollah is disarmed and as long as it perceives a threat.

The move builds on earlier progress. Lebanon said it had completed the first phase of a plan to disarm Hezbollah and other groups in the south, with the Lebanese army taking operational control of territory south of the Litani river, apart from a handful of Israeli positions. Israel described that progress as encouraging but insufficient.

Hezbollah did not obstruct the army during the first phase, but has resisted moving to a second phase covering areas north of the Litani. The group and its backer, Iran, argue that a limited Israeli withdrawal falls short of a memorandum that called for a permanent end to military operations in Lebanon.

The fragile arrangement reflects the difficulty of stabilising the Israel-Lebanon border after months of conflict, with each side wary of the other's intentions and the future of Hezbollah's arsenal still unresolved.