’Maariv’: Indications Suggest that ‘Israel’ is on Its Way out of Lebanon

By Staff

The “Israeli” “Maariv” newspaper reported that officials in the “Israeli” military and security establishment are waiting to see the contents of the agreement expected to be signed on Friday between the United States and Iran.

The newspaper indicated that the prevailing understanding is that the “Israeli” army would be permitted to remain along the so-called “Yellow Line” in Lebanon and maintain a forward “defensive” posture there, similar to the model currently employed in Gaza Strip.

“Maariv” recalled that two “Israeli” sources revealed that US President Donald Trump raised the issue of the “Israeli” occupation in Lebanon and in Syria [Mount Hermon] during one of his recent conversations with “Israeli” PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to those assessments, the newspaper continued, the possibility of withdrawing from all five positions occupied by the “Israeli” military in southern Lebanon, as well as leaving the Syrian side of Al-Sheikh Mountain “Mount Hermon” was placed on the table as part of broader understandings that would include a comprehensive ceasefire and an end to offensive military operations.

The newspaper added: “Against this background, the timing of the ‘Israeli’ strike in Beirut itself raises questions. In recent days, several shooting incidents toward ‘Israel’ have been recorded, and the security and military establishment treated them as relatively limited events. The shooting that took place Tuesday morning was also not fundamentally different from the incidents recorded over the previous two days.”

“Maariv” further noted that its military affairs correspondent, Avi Ashkenazi, had reported the previous morning that the security and military establishment maintains that Beirut is currently off-limits to “Israeli” military operations, as are areas beyond the “Yellow Line”.