Israel, Hezbollah outline Litani withdrawal

The United States, Israel and Lebanon said on June 3 that they had agreed to a ceasefire framework that requires a complete halt to Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector. The terms were published by the U.S. State Department after two days of trilateral talks in Washington on June 2 and June 3. Hezbollah was not a party to those talks and had not publicly commented on the framework as of Thursday. ### What exactly was agreed on June 3? The U.S. State Department said the ceasefire is contingent on “a complete cessation of Hizbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hizbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector.” The joint statement also said Israel and Lebanon, with U.S. guidance, agreed to “swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones” in which the Lebanese Armed Forces would take “exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.” (state.gov) The June 3 statement did not say Israel would withdraw south of the Litani River. Instead, it described a ceasefire tied to Hezbollah’s pullback and to Lebanese army control in unspecified pilot zones south of the river. ### Where did the Litani River issue come from? (state.gov) The Litani River has been central to the latest diplomacy because Israeli forces pushed deeper into southern Lebanon in recent days, including beyond the river, according to regional reporting. Al Jazeera reported on May 30 and May 31 that Israeli troops had advanced past the Litani River and toward Nabatieh, marking Israel’s deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than 25 years. (state.gov) The social-media posts circulating on June 3 and June 4 matched the language later published in the State Department statement on Hezbollah’s evacuation from the South Litani Sector and on Lebanese army control. But the official text stopped short of saying Israel had committed to withdraw south of the river immediately. (aljazeera.com) ### Who is supposed to control the area south of the Litani? The Lebanese Armed Forces were named in the June 3 statement as the force that would take “exclusive control” in the planned pilot zones. The statement said those zones would exclude “all non-state actors,” language aimed at Hezbollah and other armed groups operating outside state authority. (state.gov) Reuters reported on June 4 that the Lebanese army had already deployed into the south under the November 2024 ceasefire and said in January that it had established control over the area between the border and the Litani. The new framework would expand that role through additional pilot zones agreed with Israel and the United States. ### Is Israel actually pulling back now? (state.gov) Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on June 4 that Israel would continue striking Lebanon “for the time being” and would not withdraw from the south yet. Reuters reported that Katz said Israeli forces would remain in the self-declared security zone, including the area around Beaufort Castle seized at the weekend. (yahoo.com) That means the June 3 framework set conditions for a ceasefire and future security arrangements, but did not produce an immediate Israeli pullout. Any Israeli withdrawal would depend on how the ceasefire terms are implemented and on further direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon under U.S. mediation. (yahoo.com) ### What happens next in the diplomatic track? The June 3 joint statement said Israel and Lebanon committed to continuing direct negotiations “to build confidence, resolve all outstanding issues, and work toward a comprehensive agreement.” It also said the delegations had discussed a security framework building on Pentagon talks held on May 29. (state.gov) The next step, based on the official text, is implementation of the ceasefire conditions and movement on the pilot zones under Lebanese army control, followed by more direct Israel-Lebanon talks brokered by Washington. Hezbollah’s public position remains a major missing piece because the group was not part of the June 2-3 trilateral meeting. (state.gov)