Some Lebanese Army officers do not currently want Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon, fearing Hezbollah would quickly return to areas from which it has been pushed out, according to a senior U.S. official cited by i24NEWS.

The report comes roughly a month and a half after the Lebanese Army began operating in designated pilot zones as part of an effort to disarm Hezbollah and remove the terror group’s weapons and infrastructure from areas near Israel’s northern border.

Israel is reportedly dissatisfied with the progress made so far, viewing the results in the pilot zones as insufficient. The areas are intended to serve as a test for a broader Hezbollah disarmament process across southern Lebanon.

A senior American official said Washington is working with both Israel and Lebanon toward a future arrangement but acknowledged that reaching an agreement will take time.

Israel has demanded guarantees that Hezbollah will not be able to rebuild its military presence near the border before considering changes to the IDF’s deployment in southern Lebanon.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)