As the U.S.-mediated talks continue in Washington, an Israeli official stated Thursday that Israel will not withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.
Government spokesman David Mensa informed journalists, "We will not withdraw our forces from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah poses a threat and remains armed with military capabilities."
Earlier, both senior Israeli and Lebanese officials denied any Israeli withdrawal from the buffer zone in southern Lebanon. This came after a U.S. official announced that Israel had withdrawn some forces from the area as a goodwill gesture towards the Lebanese government.
This was in response to a statement from a U.S. State Department official, who confirmed earlier that day that Israel had retracted from part of the buffer zone it established in southern Lebanon during its conflict with the Hezbollah group.
The U.S. official described Israel's pullback as a "goodwill gesture" toward the Lebanese government, emphasizing that the Lebanese army must now advance into the area Israel vacated.
The official did not clarify the specific area or the precise location of the withdrawal.
Israel and Lebanon are discussing a U.S.-supported proposal for Israeli forces to hand over part of the Lebanese land occupied during the conflict with Hezbollah to the Lebanese army, as a step towards Lebanon reclaiming control over its occupied territories.
The proposal for establishing a "pilot zone" is part of the latest rounds of talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, although momentum has slowed due to Iran's interest in incorporating the Lebanese issue into its negotiations with the U.S.