The Israeli military has maintained a presence in southern Lebanon near the border since agreeing to the U.S.-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in November. Israel was to withdraw its forces within two months and Lebanon's armed forces were to take control of the country's south, territory that has long been a stronghold for Hezbollah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he welcomes the Lebanese cabinet’s “momentous decision” earlier this month to work towards the disarmament of Hezbollah by the end of 2025.

The Lebanese government and army are expected to finalize, by next week, an implementation plan for its decision to disarm Hezbollah. In a potentially game-changing development, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday laid out the possibility of an IDF phased withdrawal from Lebanon as well as rolling back air force strikes there,