Israeli forces remain deployed in southern Lebanon north of the Litani River under a conditional framework agreement signed in June 2026 that ties any phased redeployment to verifiable Hezbollah disarmament, Lebanese Armed Forces control of designated pilot zones, and third-party verification. As of early October, the IDF has instead fortified positions, improved access roads, and conducted ongoing strikes and infrastructure-clearing operations near the river and the “Yellow Line,” with brigade rotations replacing offensive units while maintaining presence. US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to resume on October 20 in Tampa, Florida, ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections. Implementation of the June pilot zones has stalled, and Israeli statements emphasize that withdrawal depends on Lebanese enforcement of Hezbollah’s withdrawal beyond the river and sustained security conditions for northern Israel.