Israeli forces maintain positions in southern Lebanon under a June 2026 U.S.-brokered framework agreement that links any broader withdrawal beyond the Litani River to verifiable Hezbollah disarmament and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) assumption of exclusive security control in designated pilot zones. The deal established limited, conditions-based pullbacks from two small areas (one north and one south of the river), rather than a fixed timeline or full redeployment, with Israel retaining a buffer zone until threats are neutralized. As of mid-September 2026, the IDF chief stated the campaign continues and the LAF must demonstrate greater effectiveness before further progress, while Israeli strikes persist in the south. Upcoming U.S.-mediated talks in Rome in October could influence sequencing, though Hezbollah has rejected the framework's disarmament linkage and implementation of even pilot zones has advanced slowly. Trader consensus reflects these structural barriers and the absence of rapid disarmament milestones.