Netanyahu Approves Pilot Withdrawals From Lebanon Amid US Pressure

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a high-level security meeting on July 6, 2026, to approve planned withdrawal positions for Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. This move follows a June 26 US-mediated framework agreement requiring a gradual Israeli exit contingent on the disarmament of Hezbollah and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces to establish "Hezbollah-free zones."

Despite the agreement, military volatility persists. On July 4, the Israel Defense Forces killed a Hezbollah militant in Majdal Zoun and conducted strikes in Mansouri. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that Israeli strikes since March 2 have killed 4,303 people and wounded 12,202 others. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz initially declared that forces would remain in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza indefinitely to maintain security zones, though officials later considered small withdrawals due to pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Diplomatic friction has increased as Trump reportedly called Netanyahu "crazy" and asserted that "Netanyahu knows who the boss is." Additionally, Netanyahu claimed some Christian villages in southern Lebanon requested annexation by Israel for protection, a claim denied by the mayor of Rmeish and 14 other Christian towns. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has rejected the ceasefire framework, stating that an Israeli presence on Lebanese land is impossible.