The IDF is preparing to significantly reduce the forces deployed in southern Lebanon following the completion of operations to destroy the tunnel infrastructure on the Ali al-Taher Ridge, and the security establishment is already discussing the possibility of establishing a new security zone closer to the Israeli border, Kan News reported.
Under the plan being considered, the IDF would withdraw from some of the territory it currently holds and redeploy along a new line approximately three to four kilometers inside Lebanon.
The proposed deployment has been dubbed the “Gray Line,” with new IDF outposts to be constructed along the route.
The plan would replace the current “Yellow Line,” which encompasses Israel’s existing security zone as well as areas deeper inside Lebanon where IDF forces are currently deployed, including territory north of the Litani River in the Beaufort area.
The proposal has not yet been finalized or approved by the political leadership. Among the key issues still under discussion are how territory vacated by the IDF would be transferred to the Lebanese Army and how the withdrawal would fit into ongoing political negotiations between the sides.
The discussions follow the completion of IDF operations on the Ali al-Taher Ridge, a strategically commanding position overlooking Nabatieh and key routes connecting southern Lebanon to the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, one of Hezbollah’s historic strongholds.
Troops from the IDF’s 36th Division operated on the ridge in recent weeks using ambushes, strikes on tunnel shafts, drones, and aerial and ground fire.
Inside Hezbollah’s underground compounds, troops discovered command centers, weapons depots, generator rooms, kitchens, showers, and living quarters designed to allow terrorists to remain underground and conduct prolonged combat operations.
According to the IDF, the strategic underground network was built over roughly two decades with Iranian planning and funding.
Meanwhile, Israel’s security establishment is preparing for a possible response from Hezbollah — and potentially Iran — to the operations on the Ali al-Taher Ridge.
(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)
