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

An American official described a partial Israeli withdrawal as a goodwill gesture, but officials in Beirut and Jerusalem said no such pullback had occurred.

- Published: 2026-06-25T10:14:10.325Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-06-25/us-says-israel-pulled-back-in-south-lebanon-both-sides-deny
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [Ynet (Hebrew)](https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sy11o2pcfzx), [Globes (Hebrew)](https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001547004#utm_source=RSS)

A dispute emerged over whether Israeli forces have withdrawn from part of southern Lebanon.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](https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sy11o2pcfzx), 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](https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001547004#utm_source=RSS) 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.

## What this means

The conflicting statements show how fragile and deniable the steps toward calm in the region are. A genuine Israeli pullback that allows the Lebanese army to deploy would be a meaningful de-escalation, but the public denials indicate that any such move remains contested and incomplete.

## What to watch

- Whether the Lebanese army actually deploys into specific areas, the concrete test of any withdrawal.
- Whether Washington, Beirut and Jerusalem confirm details of the discussed pilot arrangement, which would show the de-escalation moving forward.
- Continued Israeli military activity and casualties in southern Lebanon, which would contradict claims of a pullback.