The political leadership in Israel has issued orders to the Israeli army to freeze all 'sensitive' operations in southern Lebanon at the request of the United States. The official broadcasting body (Kan) reported that the directive was indeed issued to the army and will remain in effect until further notice, while the fate of the current escalation between the United States and Iran becomes clearer, on one hand, and the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, on the other.
According to Israeli sources, the request from the United States for Israel to stop sensitive operations in Lebanon came amid American concerns that Israel is looking to expand combat with Iran.
An Israeli security source told the Hebrew channel that Israel was ready and would have exploited any Iranian attack against it to launch major strikes in Iran, but after the White House request, orders were issued to the Israeli army to hold back, based on the premise that the current conflict does not extend to Israel.
Additionally, it is expected, according to Kan, that the Israeli army will begin withdrawing from the experimental areas in southern Lebanon early next week, as additional talks between Lebanon and Israel will be held in Rome.
An American delegation responsible for coordinating between Israel and Lebanon visited Israel this week and moved to Lebanon on Friday to finalize points before the Israeli withdrawal from the experimental areas. Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yair Lapid will lead the Israeli delegation in talks with the team that also participated in previous negotiations with the Lebanese.
This came despite reports from Kan that the Israeli army carried out an airstrike on the outskirts of the town of Nabatieh al-Fouqa in southern Lebanon after midnight, followed by another airstrike carried out by an Israeli drone targeting the same location. The Israeli army did not comment on the attack or on the suspension of sensitive operations.
The American request to stop sensitive operations in Lebanon came after concerning Israeli statements to Washington. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir stated on Thursday that Israel would be prepared to return to war with Iran at any moment, following renewed attacks between Iran and the United States.
The three spoke at a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots, and Zamir, in brief comments after canceling his speech, stated that the war against Iran 'is not over yet.'
He addressed the pilots, saying, 'There are still major operations expected ahead of us. Be fully prepared.'
Zamir intended, in his planned speech, to say that hundreds of aircraft belonging to the Israeli Air Force are in a state of 'immediate takeoff readiness.'
The text intended for the speech stated: 'Even at this moment, we are closely monitoring developments in Iran and Lebanon, and we remain in a state of high readiness to take immediate action.'
Netanyahu's speech also addressed Lebanon, where he told the graduating pilots that Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon as long as necessary. He stated, 'We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon as long as it is necessary to ensure the safety of our communities in the north.'
They understand in Israel that the United States does not want them to escalate in Lebanon so as not to disrupt talks with the Iranians, nor do they want them to engage in rounds of fighting with Iran. American officials have informed the Israelis that Washington is keen on preventing Israel from returning to battle.
Netanyahu spoke on the phone with Trump on Thursday, receiving updates about American military operations in the region, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. The statement said that Netanyahu and Trump agreed to continue coordination between the two countries on various issues. During the call, Netanyahu noted that 'it is essential for Israel to maintain buffer zones along its borders,' referring to areas it occupies in southern Lebanon.