Israel is studying a limited, symbolic withdrawal from some positions along the so-called Yellow Line in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli officials and media reports, days before Israeli-Lebanese negotiations resume in Washington under US mediation. The move is framed by Israeli sources as a diplomatic gesture to the Lebanese government, intended to decouple the Lebanon front from the parallel US-Iran ceasefire track and prioritise a negotiated solution. The proposed pullback would involve removing a small number of troops from areas not far beyond the line that marked Israeli positions after the April ceasefire, though Defence Minister Israel Katz has publicly denied any withdrawal from the strategic Beaufort Castle.

Viewed from Tel Aviv, the military assessment is that major offensive missions in the area are complete and not all deployed forces are required. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz have repeatedly vowed to maintain what they term a security zone in southern Lebanon. According to Israeli briefings, the United States is pressing for Israeli forces to return to the pre-escalation lines and is offering strict American supervision of the Lebanese army in any vacated areas. The Lebanese government, for its part, has been assured by Saudi Arabia and Qatar that it will not be sidelined in future arrangements. Riyadh has worked insistently in recent days to guarantee the Lebanese state’s role, while Doha’s involvement, coordinated with the Kingdom, will initially focus on consolidating the ceasefire.

The proposed mechanism envisages “pilot areas” where the Lebanese army would assume responsibility under American oversight, a concept first outlined in a joint US-Israel-Lebanon statement after the previous round of talks. The Iran-US memorandum of understanding, signed on 18 June, requires a halt to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. Tehran’s president has claimed that Iranian negotiating leverage produced concessions on Lebanon, and China’s foreign ministry has stated that preserving and implementing the memorandum will help consolidate the hard-won ceasefire. A joint Qatari-Pakistani statement confirmed that the parties agreed to create a “de-escalation nucleus” with Lebanon’s presence, with both countries participating.

The Washington negotiations, scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, will involve ambassadorial and military representatives and run parallel to US-Iran technical talks resuming in Switzerland. Israeli media report that any significant offensive operations in depth would now require high-level political approval, reflecting a de facto restraint linked to the diplomatic process. While Israel publicly rejects a full withdrawal, the exploration of symbolic pullbacks and the establishment of pilot zones indicate a search for a formula that allows both sides to claim progress. The coming days are expected to test whether these tentative gestures can be translated into a durable arrangement on the ground.