Israel is “ready to support” Lebanon’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah and will implement a phased reduction of its military presence in Lebanon as a “reciprocal measure,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Monday.

If the Lebanese Armed Forces “take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of IDF presence in coordination with the US-led security mechanism,” the statement reads.

“Israel stands ready to support Lebanon in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to work together towards a more secure and stable future for both nations,” it continued.

The comments issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office come nine months after Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire deal following a year of cross-border fighting that escalated in September 2024 before the agreement was signed in November. Israel has maintained a military presence in five key points in southern Lebanon and continues to strike Hezbollah targets in the country.

On Monday, alongside the comments from Netanyahu’s office, a Hezbollah operative was killed in an Israeli drone strike in the southern Lebanon town of Tebnine, the military said.

According to the IDF, the operative was involved in restoring Hezbollah military infrastructure in the nearby town of Beit Lif, which the IDF called a violation of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry reported one dead in a strike on a car in Tebnine. The strike is the first since the IDF said it hit a Hezbollah arms depot on Friday.

Lebanese President........

© The Times of Israel