U.S. Ties IDF Lebanon Withdrawal to Hezbollah Disarmament

Senior U.S. administration officials said Israel will redeploy its forces from Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah's disarmament and the Lebanese state's restoration of sovereignty across its territory. They said implementation is intended to restore Lebanese sovereignty, dismantle Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure and allow Israel to return to secure borders after the threat is removed. The officials said pilot operations began last week around Zawtar al-Gharbiya following direct Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome. Their statement came hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Washington visit for talks with President Donald Trump.