Report: The Israeli Army Prepares to Halt Its Ground Operations in Southern Lebanon

SadaNews - The Israeli army is preparing for the possibility that the political level will instruct a halt to ground operations in southern Lebanon, in the context of a potential memorandum of understanding to be signed between Iran and the United States.

Israeli reports on Saturday evening indicated that the security and political cabinet (the 'kitchen cabinet') will convene at 7:30 PM on Sunday, in light of the potential agreement between Tehran and Washington.

According to the Israeli broadcasting authority ('Kan 11'), "These days may be the last during which the Israeli army has the capacity to continue extensive ground operations to control new areas in Lebanon."

Israel is preparing to scale back its attacks deep within Lebanon to avoid impacting the potential agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Israeli security officials stated that the army will not withdraw from the security strip as part of the agreement with Iran, indicating that "this matter will be discussed with the Lebanese side through direct negotiations that will take place in about a week and a half in the United States."

In recent days, the 36th Division has continued its advance northward in southern Lebanon, and previous reports indicated that Israeli forces reached the outskirts of the city of Nabatiyeh, the largest city in the area, and are stationed on the Ali al-Taher hill, about two kilometers north of the Shakif Fortress.

Officials in the Israeli army had spoken last week about the importance of seizing the opportunity to penetrate and reach Nabatiyeh as well, considering it a "strategic location for Hezbollah, where infrastructure has been established over the years by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Quds Force."

"Kan 11" reported on Thursday that the political level instructed the army to avoid carrying out attacks that could compromise the potential agreement to be reached between Iran and the United States. An informed source stated that "the army continues to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon, but they are limited and focused strikes, while still being constrained in its activities within Beirut."

In this context, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on Friday that he "will announce in the memorandum of understanding with Washington the end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon," clarifying that "ending the war in the memorandum of understanding also means the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Lebanese territories, and we have made this clear. "

He emphasized that "the Lebanon file is explicitly mentioned in the memorandum of understanding," pointing out that Israel is "an enemy to the potential agreement between us and America," and argued that "if the opposing party does not fulfill its commitments in the memorandum of understanding within 60 days, negotiations regarding the remaining issues will not proceed."