ALBAWABA - Israel is considering announcing "symbolic" withdrawals from occupied territory in southern Lebanon as a gesture ahead of upcoming talks with the Lebanese government, an Israeli source told CNN on Monday.
The idea was discussed three days before the talks between Israel and Lebanon, scheduled to be held in Washington this week under the auspices of the Trump administration.
The withdrawals would involve pulling back some troops from limited areas along the so-called "yellow line," which marks the border of territory seized by the Israeli army after the previous ceasefire in April.
The source said that Tel Aviv is considering a limited withdrawal as a "gesture" to the Lebanese government, with the aim of prioritizing the diplomatic track and separating Lebanon from the ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran.
An Israeli army humvee vehicle patrols along the northern region in the Upper Galilee bordering Lebanon on June 18, 2026. Photo by JALAA MAREY / AFP
Meanwhile, Israeli security officials said the country is considering allowing Lebanon's army to take control of a Hezbollah tunnel compound in the southern Lebanese village of Tebnit, N12 revealed.
"This could be a test for the ability and motivation of the Lebanese army to deal publicly and in an unprecedented way with Hezbollah," an Israeli source noted Sunday.
On the other hand, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz denied on Sunday that the Israeli army would withdraw from Beaufort Castle, located on a ridge that has seen some of the fiercest fighting in recent days.
Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have vowed that Israel will not withdraw from what they call the security zone in southern Lebanon.
