Israel to Support Lebanon in Disarming Hezbollah
After Beirut orders plans to disarm Iran-backed terror group, Jerusalem pledges “reciprocal measures,” including a phased withdrawal of IDF troops from posts in the country’s south.
Israel is “ready to support” Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah and will implement a phased reduction of its military presence in Lebanon as a “reciprocal measure,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Monday.
If the Lebanese Armed Forces “take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of IDF presence in coordination with the U.S.-led security mechanism,” the statement reads.
“Israel stands ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations,” it continued.
The comments issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office come nine months after Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire deal following a year of cross-border fighting that escalated in September 2024 before the agreement was signed in November. Israel has maintained a military presence in five key points in Southern Lebanon and continues to strike Hezbollah targets in the country.
On Monday, alongside the comments from Netanyahu’s office, a Hezbollah operative was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the Southern Lebanon town of Tebnine, the military said.
According to the IDF, the operative was involved in restoring Hezbollah military infrastructure in the nearby town of Beit Lif, which the IDF called a violation of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry reported one dead in a strike on a car in Tebnine. The strike is the first since the IDF said it hit a Hezbollah arms depot last week.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam this month approved the objectives of a U.S. proposal to disarm Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror group that is also a political party in Lebanon, by the end of this year. Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened by the war, has vowed to resist such efforts. On Monday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reaffirmed the group’s refusal to disarm.
The Prime Minister’s Office statement praised leaders in Beirut for their “momentous decision,” calling the move “a crucial opportunity for Lebanon to reclaim its sovereignty and restore the authority of its state institutions, military, and governance — free from the influence of non-state actors.”
The statement came a day after top U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, reportedly met in Jerusalem with Netanyahu and other senior officials to discuss Syria and Lebanon.
Barrack said in Beirut last week that Israel should honor its commitments under a November 2024 ceasefire, in light of Beirut’s decision to work toward Hezbollah’s disarmament.
“I think the Lebanese government has done their part. They’ve taken the first step. Now, what we need is Israel to comply,” Barrack said following a meeting in Beirut with Lebanese President Aoun.
Asked by reporters about whether he expected to see Israel fully withdraw from Lebanese territory, Barrack said that “that’s exactly the next step” needed.
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