The Israel-Lebanon framework agreement, signed last week, explicitly preserves the Israel Defense Force’s full freedom to act against threats in the southern Lebanon security zone, an official familiar with its contents told The Times of Israel on Sunday.

The classified security annex of the deal reached in Washington, DC, also reiterates that there will be no automatic IDF withdrawals, though Jerusalem remains wary that pressure from Tehran could derail the agreement, the official said, confirming an unsourced Channel 12 report.

The security annex, referenced in the published text of the agreement, has been kept classified at the request of the Lebanese government, according to the details.

Article 4 of the annex includes a provision that the IDF will retain freedom of action against both emerging and immediate threats within the security zone — a top priority for Israel amid recent fears that US-Iran negotiations would limit its ability to respond to threats on troops from Hezbollah.

The article also includes an explicit commitment by both Israel and Lebanon that no IDF withdrawals will take place automatically or according to set schedules; rather, any redeployments will be based on conditions on the ground. The main agreement similarly says the pullout will be performance-based.

The annex was also said to specify that the two pilot withdrawal zones announced on Saturday will remain the only such areas for the foreseeable future, with no immediate plans to expand the arrangement.

Israel’s current assessment is that the pilot project, under which the Lebanese army will enter those initial two designated areas after training and vetting, will take several weeks to implement, while the Lebanese forces prepare to assume responsibility there, according to the details.

Israeli officials remain concerned that Iran could seek to undermine the arrangement through its parallel talks with Washington, pressing the US to demand a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon as part of a broader US-Iran agreement, the Channel 12 report confirmed by........

© The Times of Israel