Khaled Yousef
22 June 2026•Update: 22 June 2026
Israel and Lebanon will identify “pilot zones” where responsibility will be transferred to the Lebanese army during US-mediated talks in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday.
“The Israeli army will be forced to partially withdraw from the Yellow Line area,” the newspaper said, citing an unnamed Israeli source.
The Yellow Line is an imaginary line set by Tel Aviv about 8 kilometers (around 5 miles) inside Lebanese territory from the border with Israel.
“Israeli and Lebanese negotiators will determine in their upcoming talks which pilot areas will see responsibility transferred from the Israeli army to the Lebanese army,” the source said.
According to the source, the Lebanese army will operate under close US supervision and will assume responsibility for areas not controlled by the Israeli army, the source said.
Washington has hosted several rounds of US-sponsored talks between Beirut and Tel Aviv and is preparing to host a new round on Tuesday.
Israeli officials, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly said the Israeli army will not withdraw from the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army escalated attacks in Lebanon on Friday and Saturday, carrying out more than 200 strikes across southern and eastern parts of the country, claiming to target Hezbollah sites. Anadolu correspondents reported that many of the attacks hit homes and civilian infrastructure.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the strikes killed 105 people and injured over 150 others on Friday and Saturday.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,100 people and injured over 12,000 others since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.
Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war.
* Writing by Lina Altawell in Istanbul.
