The Israeli military has withdrawn several brigades from southern Lebanon in anticipation of a potential ceasefire, according to Israeli media reports on Tuesday.
The move follows assessments by officials involved in ceasefire negotiations, who believe a deal could be reached within one to two weeks, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth stated that the brigades were pulled back for refresher training, but did not specify the number of brigades involved.
The newspaper noted that while ground operations are expected to continue for a few more weeks, the Israeli army is waiting for a decision from the country’s political leadership regarding the future of the operation.
The report also indicated progress on a supplementary document to the ceasefire agreement, which, if finalized, would allow Israel to retain the right to military action in southern Lebanon if the ceasefire mechanism fails. However, there was no immediate response from Hezbollah regarding the report.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday that Israel had rejected all ceasefire proposals while continuing its attacks across Lebanon.
On Friday, Israel’s public broadcaster, KAN, reported that the Israeli army was nearing the end of its intensive ground operation in southern Lebanon and was preparing for redeployment amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Since late September, Israel has escalated its air campaign in Lebanon, targeting what it claims are Hezbollah positions.
This escalation is part of a broader conflict that has seen year-long cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip.
According to Lebanese health authorities, over 3,000 people have been killed and nearly 13,500 injured in Israeli airstrikes since October 2023.
Israel expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on October 1st.