Said Amori and Sahin Demir
06 July 2026•Update: 06 July 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a high-level security meeting Sunday to approve planned withdrawal positions for Israeli forces in southern Lebanon under a US-mediated framework agreement, local media reported.
Israel’s Channel 13, citing informed sources, said senior military and security officials attended the meeting, which focused on identifying the areas included in the initial withdrawal phase and mechanisms for implementing the move in coordination with international parties, particularly the United States.
The meeting comes as Israel and Lebanon continue US-mediated contacts over field arrangements, including defining what Israeli officials describe as “Hezbollah-free zones” to prevent friction or miscalculation during the withdrawal process.
Israel has not yet begun withdrawing from the designated areas, linking the move to guarantees that the Lebanese army is prepared to deploy and assume control alongside international monitoring arrangements.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, the withdrawal is expected to be carried out gradually in what Israeli officials describe as a “pilot phase” which could later be expanded if successfully implemented.
KAN reported earlier Sunday that Israeli and Lebanese military officers had begun US-mediated talks to establish clear criteria for the proposed “Hezbollah-free zones” ahead of a trial Israeli withdrawal from two villages in southern Lebanon.
Under the US-mediated framework agreement signed on June 26, Israel agreed to carry out a gradual withdrawal from Lebanese territory beginning with two pilot areas.
The agreement does not set a timetable for a full Israeli withdrawal and links further redeployments to the Lebanese army assuming full security responsibility in evacuated areas and the disarmament of armed groups operating outside state control, in an apparent reference to Hezbollah.
Israel has continued military operations in Lebanon since March 2, with the death toll rising to 4,304 civilians and 12,203 injuries, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Israeli forces also continue to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war, while advancing more than 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) into Lebanese territory during the latest offensive.
Israel also occupies Palestinian territories and parts of Syria and continues to reject withdrawal from those areas and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in line with relevant UN resolutions.