Lebanon, 'Israel' discuss troop withdrawal south Lebanon

• 'Israel' and Lebanon are holding US-mediated security talks at the Pentagon.
• Disputes remain over withdrawal maps and timelines.
• 'Israel' seeks to retain forces in strategic buffer zones near the border.

Direct, high-stakes military negotiations between delegations from 'Israel' and Lebanon are currently underway at the Pentagon under US mediation.

The talks are heavily focused on practical blueprints for a phased 'Israeli' military withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon.

According to senior diplomatic sources cited by the 'Israeli' Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan), the two sides engaged in a detailed exchange of tactical maps.

However, the session revealed sharp, immediate differences regarding the velocity of any troop redeployment and the specific boundary configurations of the contested zones.

The current negotiations build upon a U.S.-backed framework aimed at gradually returning sovereignty to the central government in Beirut through the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

Sources close to the Pentagon sessions indicate that the immediate objective is not a comprehensive 'Israeli' evacuation of southern Lebanon.

Instead, the negotiators are focused on a partial, localized withdrawal from designated "pilot zones."

Under this phased arrangement, 'Israeli' forces would pull back from specific border areas, allowing the Lebanese army to deploy exclusively and test compliance with the disarmament of non-state actors.

However, the pace and structure of this transition remain major sticking points. 'Israeli' media reported that its forces recently secured additional geographic positions along the 8-to-10-kilometer-deep security zone specifically to hold them as leverage for these negotiations, intending to evaluate the LAF's enforcement capabilities before committing to further movements.

Deep divisions over geography and timelines

The exchange of maps highlighted a fundamental mismatch in strategic expectations. While the Lebanese delegation is pushing for a definitive, time-bound roadmap leading to a total 'Israeli' withdrawal to internationally recognized borders, 'Israel' is fiercely resisting a complete exit.

The 'Israeli' defense establishment maintains that any early or unconditioned withdrawal would be viewed as a tactical victory for Hezbollah.

Just hours before the details of the map exchange emerged, 'Israeli' Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly doubled down on a hawkish line, asserting that the military would not fully abandon its buffer positions in the south, even under pressure from international partners.

The Pentagon meetings are expected to continue through the week as working-level technical teams attempt to bridge the gaps between 'Israel's' insistence on long-term operational freedom of maneuver and Lebanon's demand for full territorial integrity.