State Department official says Lebanese Army expected to move into the areas vacated by Israeli troops as part of efforts to stabilize the border regionIsrael has pulled back from parts of its buffer zone in southern Lebanon, according to a U.S. State Department official, in a move Washington describes as a “good faith” gesture toward Lebanon’s government.The official said Lebanese Armed Forces are expected to move into the areas vacated by Israeli troops as part of efforts to stabilize the border region and reinforce the role of Lebanon’s state institutions in securing the south.(Photo: IDF)The withdrawal marks an adjustment of Israel’s forward deployment inside the buffer zone, which had been established amid ongoing cross-border tensions and periodic exchanges of fire.The development has not been confirmed or denied by Israel or the Israel Defense Forces.The U.S. characterized the move as a positive step in terms of coordination between the sides, even as it stressed that broader security arrangements remain fragile and dependent on continued restraint.Lebanon has not yet publicly detailed the timing or scope of its military deployment into the vacated areas, though the expectation is that state forces will gradually assume responsibility on the ground.The development comes as international mediators continue efforts to prevent escalation along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, where tensions have remained elevated in recent months.