Israel demands Lebanon buffer zone as Beirut softens ceasefire terms

Lebanon drops demands for Israel to withdraw from its territory in exchange for a ceasefire, as Israel pushes for buffer zone.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel is pressing to keep a security buffer zone inside southern Lebanon as ceasefire negotiations with Beirut move forward, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Israeli forces will continue “thickening the security zone” even as the two sides pursue rare direct contacts.

In a statement on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel was “conducting negotiations with Lebanon” for the first time in more than 40 years while also continuing military operations against Hezbollah.

He said Israel’s two main goals in the talks were “the disarming of Hezbollah” and “a sustainable peace,” and added that he had ordered the IDF to keep reinforcing the security zone and extend it eastward toward the foothills of Mount Hermon.

The demand for a buffer zone appears to be emerging as one of the central Israeli conditions in any future arrangement.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel also wants to preserve freedom of military action against Hezbollah under any ceasefire deal, underscoring Jerusalem’s insistence on maintaining operational control even if diplomacy produces a formal truce.

The negotiations gained momentum after a rare face-to-face meeting in Washington on Tuesday hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to the Washington Post, the meeting brought together the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors, and State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the sides “agreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue.”

Lebanon had previously insisted that any talks be preceded by an Israeli withdrawal and a ceasefire.

Reuters reported on April 9 that Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said Beirut should demand a ceasefire first, along with the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory and the return of displaced residents.

But by Thursday, Israeli media reports indicated Beirut had backed away from making an Israeli pullback a precondition for the next round of talks, a shift that would mark a significant concession as negotiations continue under US sponsorship.

That softening came even as public messaging from Lebanon remained cautious and Hezbollah continued rejecting direct talks with Israel.

President Donald Trump said late Wednesday night that Israeli and Lebanese leaders were expected to speak on Thursday, saying Washington was “trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon.”

But Lebanese officials quickly cast doubt on the claim. The Lebanese presidency said it had “no information” about a reported call between President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu, even as Israeli officials suggested high-level contact was possible.

The diplomatic push comes against the backdrop of ongoing combat in southern Lebanon. Reuters reported that Netanyahu said Israeli forces were closing in on Bint Jbeil, which he called a major Hezbollah stronghold, while making clear that negotiations would proceed in parallel with military pressure.