According to the Anadolu agency, a new report from Israeli media suggests Washington is tightening the boundaries of Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, a development that could have significant implications for regional tensions already stretched by conflicts involving Iran, maritime security concerns, and ongoing instability along Israel’s northern border.
Israel’s Channel 13 reported Monday, citing a senior Israeli official, that the United States informed Israel in recent weeks that an earlier authorization allowing it “to operate without restriction” in Lebanon was no longer in effect.
According to the official, Israel received a message from Washington stating that “the previous authorization for unrestricted action in Lebanon had expired.”
The reported shift comes despite recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has maintained that Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon “have complete freedom of action.”
Channel 13 said the Trump administration is now placing limits on Israeli military activity not only in Lebanon but in other areas as well. The report added that Israel’s political leadership has issued formal instructions to the military defining where operations may and may not take place.
Under those directives, certain locations are reportedly off limits. “These directives prohibit operations in areas such as the capital, Beirut, and the Tyre district in southern Lebanon,” the channel said.
The reported disagreement reflects a broader divergence in priorities between Washington and Tel Aviv. Earlier Monday, Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that the US is viewing developments in southern Lebanon through a wider strategic lens that includes the Strait of Hormuz, global energy prices, Iran’s nuclear program, and the Trump administration’s pursuit of a diplomatic breakthrough in the region.
Israel, however, reportedly fears that reducing its military presence too quickly could be perceived as a “sign of weakness” and could be seen as rewarding Hezbollah.
The debate carries weight far beyond diplomatic circles. According to Lebanese authorities, Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon since March 2 has killed more than 4,000 people, wounded over 12,000 others, and displaced more than one million residents. Israel also continues to hold positions in southern Lebanon, including territories occupied for decades as well as areas seized during the 2023–2024 war.
As regional crises increasingly overlap, the question of how much freedom Israel has to act in Lebanon is becoming a key test of US influence and regional strategy.
Related video