Israel Conditions Withdrawal from Southern Lebanon on Hezbollah Disarmament

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Israel said on Thursday that it would not withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the area is demilitarized, despite ongoing U.S.-mediated negotiations between the two countries in Washington.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told reporters that Israel's military presence in southern Lebanon would continue as long as Hezbollah remains armed and poses a threat to Israeli security.

"We will not withdraw our forces from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains a threat, are not disarmed and are not demilitarized," Mencer said during a press briefing.

The latest round of talks, which began on Tuesday and is expected to conclude on Thursday, is part of a diplomatic effort led by the United States to ease tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.

The conflict escalated after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militia, joined the regional war in March, prompting Israel to launch extensive airstrikes across Lebanon and deploy ground forces in the country's south.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the negotiations were making progress, noting that the two sides were close to reaching a "commitment of intent."

Commenting on the talks, Mencer stressed that Israel's priority remains the security of its northern communities.

"We will not allow any terrorist force anywhere near our border," he said. "Any redeployment of IDF forces comes after, not before, but after the demilitarization of southern Lebanon and the disarming of Hezbollah."

Mencer also argued that previous efforts to disarm Hezbollah had failed.

"We've already been in this situation in 2024," he said. "Hezbollah were supposed to be disarmed. They weren't."

The negotiations come amid continued international efforts to prevent further escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, whose cross-border hostilities have fueled instability along the Lebanon-Israel frontier.