A US source reported today, Tuesday, that Israel links any withdrawal to field steps from the Lebanese side, confirming that the main dispute in the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel revolves around the mechanism of initiating the withdrawal.
The source explained that Israel adheres to the principle of "step for step," and demands that the Lebanese army prove its capability to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the concerned areas.
Israel also demands the inspection of tunnels in the Ali al-Tahir area and ensuring they are free of the party's elements, indicating that among its demands is the positioning of the Lebanese army in the area before proceeding with the withdrawal.
According to the source, Israel seeks to obtain field guarantees regarding the Lebanese army's ability to exert control and prevent the presence of any military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah.
New round
This comes after Lebanon initiated a new round of talks with Israel in Washington today, Tuesday, with a determination to proceed in the direct negotiations, even though Tehran’s decision to include the Lebanese file in its negotiations with the United States casts a shadow over this round.
Lebanese officials insist that direct negotiations with Israel are the only way to end the war that has been raging since March 2, when the Hezbollah group launched rockets and drones at Israel in support of Iran, leading to Israeli air and ground attacks resulting in over 4000 deaths in Lebanon.
However, four rounds of Lebanese-Israeli talks since April have not led to a permanent ceasefire.
The longest period of calm in the fighting this week followed an agreement between Iran and the United States on a memorandum of understanding that stipulates a halt to fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Lebanon announced that one of its main objectives in the talks is to ensure the Israeli military withdrawal, but senior Israeli officials said that the forces will remain in southern Lebanon indefinitely.
In turn, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said today, Tuesday, "We say today that we will only accept the removal of the Israeli occupation from southern Lebanon along with the fall of foreign custodianships," apparently referring to Tehran, according to "Reuters".
Disarmament of Hezbollah
On the other hand, Israel sees the purpose of the upcoming talks as to "disarm Hezbollah and reach a true peace agreement" with Lebanon, as stated in a briefing by the Israeli government spokesman David Menzer on the eve of the new negotiations.
Menzer said that the only obstacle to reaching an agreement with Lebanon is the Hezbollah group, "and that is why we believe that it must be disarmed and dismantled."
The Lebanese government has been moving cautiously since 2025 to disarm Hezbollah without confronting the group directly, fearing that this could lead to a civil conflict.
Hezbollah has refused to disarm completely and called on the government to withdraw from its direct talks with Israel.
While Aoun first proposed direct talks in March, they did not begin until mid-April, after the United States announced a ceasefire to allow a diplomatic process that Washington said would eventually lead to a peace agreement.
But intense fighting continued in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces increased their incursions into Lebanese villages.
The United States announced a new ceasefire initiative in early June, also within the framework of the Lebanese-Israeli talks, but it was conditional on Hezbollah ceasing fire, and the group rejected it.
Hezbollah expects Iran to demand an Israeli withdrawal while it continues its talks with the United States regarding a final agreement, saying the Lebanese government should bet on this path instead of its direct negotiations.
