IDF chief: Lebanese army ‘needs to fulfill commitments’; Israel prepares handover of south Lebanon pilot zones

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his inner cabinet for a security discussion centering on Lebanon on Sunday evening, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was reportedly preparing to transfer control of two pilot areas in the southern Lebanon security zone to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

The creation of pilot areas in which the LAF would deploy to demonstrate their ability to dismantle Hezbollah’s presence and maintain security was a key part of the Lebanon-Israel agreement mediated by the United States last week.

According to Israeli media reports, the IDF is now awaiting notification from the Lebanese Armed Forces that its troops are ready to enter the zones, as well as final approval from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir toured the Beaufort Castle area in southern Lebanon this morning, including a major Hezbollah tunnel system built beneath the ridge, the military says.

Zamir says the Beaufort Ridge is a strategic area that is "saturated with terror… pic.twitter.com/mGCcAhUSgP

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 5, 2026

Both zones are located in the Nabatieh area, centered on the towns of Froun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, which Netanyahu told reporters last week were not essential from a security standpoint and whose handover would not undermine the IDF’s presence in the area.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan reported that the LAF is preparing a military and logistical deployment plan for the areas, adding that implementation on the ground could begin within a week or two.

The pilot areas are meant as a first step to demonstrate the LAF’s ability to replace Hezbollah and eventually extend security control across southern Lebanon, particularly along the border. Hezbollah has effectively ruled the area for decades, building massive underground forts and infrastructure in preparation for an invasion of northern Israel.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir toured one such area, the Beaufort Ridge. In the nearby Ali al-Taher ridge, dozens of Hezbollah terrorists are thought to still be hiding in yet another massive underground complex.

An armed Hezbollah operative identified near Israeli forces in southern Lebanon earlier today was killed following a manhunt, the military says.

The IDF says reservists of the 551st Brigade spotted the gunman in the Majdal Zoun area, inside Israel's buffer zone.

The troops… pic.twitter.com/vxcF00RPdv

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 4, 2026

“The Beaufort area is dominant terrain saturated with terrorist infrastructure. The Hezbollah terrorist organization, funded and directed by Iran, spent decades constructing extensive underground tunnel networks carved deep into the mountain to threaten northern Israeli communities, using the ridge to establish command centers, manage the battlefield, construct firing positions, and for launching terrorist attacks,” Zamir said.

“The LAF is required to fulfill its commitments under the historic agreement that was signed, and act to clear the area of Hezbollah terrorists and terrorist infrastructure. The IDF will continue to operate decisively to remove threats from Lebanese territory and is prepared to transition rapidly to offensive operations should the ceasefire be violated,” he warned.

During the Sunday cabinet meeting, Netanyahu reportedly denied reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is opposed to any Israeli military operation in the area, and said they were “a myth, fake news.”

Over the past several days, the IDF has announced several strikes against Hezbollah terrorists operating near or within the security zone and reported on Saturday, “IDF soldiers identified an armed terrorist operating inside the Security Zone… in blatant violation of the agreement. Following the identification, the soldiers responded to the threat and opened fire at the terrorist. Following extensive searches, the soldiers eliminated the terrorist.”

A cell of Hezbollah operatives identified near Israeli troops in southern Lebanon were targeted in an airstrike earlier today, the IDF says.

The military says troops of the Commando Brigade spotted the operatives, who were riding motorcycles, in the village of al-Aaqaide, near… pic.twitter.com/rSmHAieP5r

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 5, 2026

The next day, the IDF reported that “soldiers identified a Hezbollah terrorist cell operating on motorcycles in the Al-Uqaydah area, adjacent to the Security Zone... Following the identification, the IDF conducted a precise strike against the terrorists to remove the threat.”

Meanwhile, the IDF continues to search the security zone for remaining Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure. The military said Monday that in the village of Hadatha alone, Israeli troops "dismantled more than 90 terrorist infrastructure sites, eliminated more than 20 terrorists, and located more than 150 weapons, including RPG rockets, anti-tank missiles, machine guns, and Kalashnikov rifles" over the past month.

Hezbollah and its allies in the Lebanese parliament have vowed to ignore the government’s agreement with Israel.

Hussein Jashi, a Hezbollah lawmaker, said that “because of the framework agreement, Israel has the right to remain in the area of the Yellow Line, to kill Lebanese, and to do whatever it wishes according to its security interest, and Israel has every justification for that.”

Pointing to Israeli strikes against Hezbollah terrorists, he asked the Lebanese government, "Where is the protection that you promised would be achieved for the Lebanese through the framework agreement?”

Nidaa al-Watan also reported that contacts between the Lebanese presidency and Hezbollah are currently cut off, adding that Hezbollah’s decisions are being made in Tehran, where the regime is preoccupied with funeral proceedings for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.