US Says Israel Pulled Back in South Lebanon, Both Sides Deny It

A dispute emerged over whether Israeli forces have withdrawn from part of southern Lebanon. The Israeli outlet Ynet reported that an American official told Reuters the move was a goodwill gesture toward the Lebanese government, and that the Lebanese army would now enter areas the Israeli military had vacated. A senior Lebanese official denied that any withdrawals had taken place in recent days, and the Israeli military also denied it.

Globes, in its live coverage, reported the conflicting accounts alongside news that an Israeli reservist had been killed in an operational accident in southern Lebanon, which indicates that Israeli forces remained active in the area.

The contradiction suggests the statement may have been intended to prepare for a pilot arrangement that Washington, Beirut and Jerusalem have been discussing, rather than to describe a step that has already happened. Each party has reason to manage how any de-escalation is presented to its own public.