Israel has begun a pilot partial withdrawal of troops from southern Lebanon – CNN

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have initiated a pilot program for a partial troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon, transferring control of three villages to the Lebanese Armed Forces. This move, reported by CNN, is part of a U.S.-mediated 14-point framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon. The IDF stated they are "adjusting their military presence" to allow the Lebanese army to function while maintaining Israel's right to self-defense. The pilot project aims to assess the Lebanese Armed Forces' capacity to ensure security, with U.S. monitoring. Israel, however, does not intend to fully withdraw until Hezbollah is disarmed, asserting that Israeli forces will remain in the "security zone" as long as needed to protect northern Israeli communities. This program commenced ahead of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's visit to Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.