Senior Israeli and Lebanese officials have rejected the US statement that Israel partially withdrew from the occupied buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
A US State Department official said that Israel withdrew its troops from part of the buffer zone as a goodwill gesture toward the Lebanese government, and that this pilot zone process aims to ensure the complete destruction of Hezbollah's weapons and infrastructure and the disbanding of non-state armed groups.
The official said, "Israel took a concrete step by withdrawing from part of the buffer zone. This is an important goodwill gesture toward Lebanon's legitimate government."
However, a senior Israeli defense official stated that Israel's policy is clear and that the military will not withdraw from the area called the "buffer zone" in southern Lebanon.
When asked about the US official's comments, a senior Lebanese military official said that recent developments on the ground showed "the exact opposite of a withdrawal." The official emphasized that Israeli forces continue to protect the buffer zone against anyone approaching it, including Lebanese army units.
Israel and Lebanon are discussing a US-backed proposal to transfer part of the Lebanese territory occupied during the war with Hezbollah to the Lebanese army. The pilot zone proposal had been part of recent Israeli-Lebanese talks in Washington, but was overshadowed by Iran's move to center Lebanon in its own negotiations with the US.