Israel Pushes North of the Litani as Pentagon Hosts Parallel Security Talks

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed May 29 that Israeli Defense Forces troops had advanced north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, declaring a new phase in Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah. During a visit to the Israel-Lebanon border, Netanyahu said troops had pushed past the Litani River, which cuts east-west roughly 30 kilometers into southern Lebanon. "Our forces have crossed the Litani and advanced to controlling positions," he told military personnel, according to excerpts released by his office, adding that forces were "operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa [Valley], across the entire width of the front, and are dealing Hezbollah a crushing blow." The advance is significant in part because of its legal context: United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Lebanon War, stipulated that no armed groups other than the Lebanese army and UNIFIL operate south of the Litani River, a line Israel had itself invoked as the intended limit of its current operations before crossing it.

The Litani crossing comes amid a sustained Israeli escalation that began after Hezbollah entered the current regional conflict. After Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel on March 2 in support of Iran, the Israeli military began a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said earlier this week it had expanded ground operations beyond a security zone its troops have occupied since April 16. The advance north of the Litani now extends the front further. The advance marks Israel's deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than a quarter century; Israeli forces now occupy approximately 2,000 square kilometers of Lebanese territory, nearly one-fifth of the country. On Thursday, the military ordered residents south of the Zahrani River, which lies around 10 kilometers north of the Litani, to flee, declaring the area a combat zone. The order is significant because the Zahrani River lies considerably north of the Litani, which Israel had previously presented as the effective limit of the zone it sought to clear of Hezbollah forces.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accompanied Netanyahu on the border visit. Netanyahu was briefed by Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo and 36th Division Commander Brig. Gen. Yiftach Norkin on Lebanon operations. Troops of the IDF's 36th Division carried out the crossing. Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir also addressed troops during the visit. Zamir said troops would continue pursuing what he described as Hezbollah "launch squads" and their operators and commanders at every level, stating: "Wherever we identify a threat, we will strike it." Hezbollah, for its part, continued cross-border fire. The military said twice on Friday morning that it intercepted suspected Hezbollah drones over areas where troops were operating in southern Lebanon.

The military escalation unfolded simultaneously with diplomatic activity in Washington. Israeli and Lebanese military officials met at the Pentagon to discuss implementation of the ceasefire, which the two sides had agreed on May 15 to extend by 45 days. That Pentagon session was the product of the May 15 State Department talks. A State Department readout announced that "a security track will be launched at the Pentagon on May 29 with military delegations from both countries." Following the meeting, the Pentagon issued a statement indicating that Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby hosted military delegations from Israel and Lebanon "to launch the security track supporting the ongoing talks between the two nations." At the Pentagon talks, Lebanon was expected to demand that Israel halt its ongoing attacks, which had intensified in recent days.

The diplomatic track is structured as a parallel political and military process brokered by the United States. Israel and Lebanon agreed to the 45-day ceasefire extension after two rounds of talks in Washington, with further negotiations scheduled. The ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah fire and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector; the two sides agreed, with U.S. guidance, to advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors. The U.S. reaffirmed that any agreement to cease hostilities must be reached directly between the two governments, brokered by the United States, and not through any separate track. Hezbollah is not a party to the Israel-Lebanon talks.

The gap between the diplomatic framework and the operational reality on the ground widened further over the weekend following the initial Litani crossing. Israeli officials signaled they could seek to take direct control over more of Lebanon after crossing the Litani River to capture Beaufort Ridge, a key strategic site, marking Israel's deepest incursion into the country in 26 years. Netanyahu said Sunday that "now my directive is to deepen and expand our hold on areas that had been under Hezbollah's control," with the IDF stating it had "expanded its operations against Hezbollah targets north of the river." French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Sunday requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. The developments place mounting pressure on the U.S.-led negotiating process ahead of its next scheduled session. The ceasefire extension runs 45 days from May 15, creating a defined window for both sides to show progress before the current arrangement expires.