Israel said Monday it is prepared to scale back its forces in southern Lebanon if Beirut follows through on its decision to disarm Hezbollah.
“If the Lebanese Armed Forces take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction,” the statement of the prime minister’s office reads.
It did not clarify whether Israeli forces would fully withdraw from the five positions they hold in Lebanon.
The Israeli prime minister’s office made the announcement a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. envoy Tom Barrack. Sources told Axios that the Trump administration asked Israel to scale back “non-urgent” military operations in Lebanon to support the Lebanese government’s move to begin disarming Hezbollah.
According to a military source cited by Al-Arabiya, Lebanon’s army has nearly finalized a disarmament plan and will present it to the Cabinet on Sept. 2.
In a televised speech Monday, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Naim Kassem, said the group would resist any attempt to disarm, arguing that the government’s plan only serves Israel’s interests.
“We will not give up the weapons that brought us honor. We will not give up the weapons that defend us against our enemy,” Kassim said. “The weapons are our souls, honor, land, dignity and the future of our children.”
He said Hezbollah is open to cooperation but insisted that Israel must first leave Lebanon, halt its attacks, release Lebanese prisoners, and allow reconstruction in areas devastated by the Israel-Hezbollah war.
“After that, we can discuss a national defense strategy,” Kassem said, referring to the possibility that Hezbollah’s weapons could one day be placed under government control.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah urged its supporters to protest the government’s decision to disarm the group.
The war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah erupted after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, as the group launched strikes in support of Hamas. The fighting intensified in September 2024, leaving more than 4,000 people dead before a U.S.-brokered truce in November 2024.
