News Digest — 6/12/26
Under US-Iran Deal, Israel Would Be Required To Withdraw Completely From Lebanon – Report
The terms of the ostensibly all-but-finalized deal between the US and Iran to end the fighting in the region stipulate that Israel must completely halt its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, the pro- Hezbollah Al-Akhbar newspaper reported.
In addition to halting all strikes across Lebanon, the deal requires Israel to give up any territory it has captured in the country’s south, and includes a plan for the “rapid withdrawal of IDF troops,” the report said.
Last month, when it seemed that a deal between the US and Iran was imminent, Hezbollah media reported that the IDF had been preparing for the possibility that it would be forced to reign in its war against Hezbollah.
Tehran has long insisted that the fighting in Lebanon be included in any deal with the US, despite attempts by Israel to keep the two matters separate, amid ongoing talks in Washington between Israeli and Lebanese diplomatic delegations.
Report: Turkey Urges Syrian President Not To Join In Weakening Hezbollah
Turkey is working to prevent Syrian President Amed al-Sharaa from entering into a direct confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to a Kan11 report on Thursday evening (11th)
Although Damascus views Hezbollah as an enemy, a Syrian official close to the regime was quoted in the report as stating that in recent weeks, Turkey has been advising al-Sharaa – a protege of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – not to assist efforts by Israel and the Lebanese government to weaken Hezbollah.
According to the source, Ankara views a potential elimination of Hezbollah as an undesirable outcome, as it would ultimately strengthen Israel.
The report noted that running counter to Erdogan’s desire to keep the Syrian president out of a conflict with Hezbollah, a competing effort is underway.
This week, US President Donald Trump indicated that al-Sharaa actually does want to assist in the fight against Hezbollah. The Syrian president is scheduled to visit Washington next week, where Trump will attempt to enlist al-Sharaa’s cooperation on the Hezbollah issue despite Turkish opposition.
The report follows the latest verbal attacks on Israel by Erdogan. The Turkish president said on Wednesday (10th) that Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they also threaten his country, and he warned against further action, saying, “We see comprehensive initiatives led by Israel in the Mediterranean, and no one should pursue adventures there.
Erdogan warned against continued Israeli steps in the region and said, “Israel’s aggression threatens the entire world,” He added, “If the rights of Turks or Turkish Cypriots are harmed in the Middle East – our response will be unequivocal and strong.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded and said: “The antisemitic dictator Erdogan – who is committing genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terrorist organization, oppresses his own people and imprisons political rivals – is the last person who can lecture the State of Israel on morality.”
“The State of Israel and the IDF, the most moral army in the world, will continue to take forceful action against Iran and its proxies, which threaten the Middle East and the entire world.”
Turkey and Israel were close to reconciliation just before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel,but since that time, Turkish officials, and foremost Erdogan, have repeatedly criticized Israel.
In March of last year, Erdogan blasted Israel and described it as a “terror state” after it launched surprise strikes on terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip.
Several months later, the Turkish President claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government represents the most significant threat to Middle East security.
In April of 2024, he met then-Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul. Haniyeh was later eliminated by Israel.
Erdogan said after the meeting that Palestinian Arab unity was “vital” and added, “The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity.”
Weeks later, Erdogan boasted of the fact that more than 1,000 members of Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey and also took issue with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ reference to Hamas as a terrorist organization.
IDF Pushes Deeper Into Lebanon To Neutralize Threat Of Hezbollah
In the last few weeks, the IDF has advanced past the Litani River in Lebanon and is now approaching the Zaharani River.
With the Zaharani River only six kilometers away, and Nabatieh only three kilometers away, Hezbollah has become concerned about a new IDF advance and has reinforced those areas.
Some defense officials believe that completely disarming Hezbollah is unrealistic, but that if Hezbollah could be cleared out of Lebanon not only to the Litani River , but all the way up to the Zaharani River, the volume of threats that the Lebanese terror group would be able to fire to reach Israel’s northern border would shrink dramatically.
In order to make its recent advances, the IDF said that it carried out tricky maneuvers, fooling Hezbollah’s many video cameras, such that the Lebanese terror group expected the IDF to cross the Litani River into the Wadi Saluki and other areas from one direction, and instead the IDF came from another direction.
IDF forces have found a large number of Iranian-level sophisticated tunnels and larger and more dangerous anti-tank weapons in these areas.
While the IDF has pushed Hezbollah back to reduce its FPV drone threat, the military was asked about the fact that fiber cables for such drones can extend 20-30 kilometers, which would still put northern Israeli villages in range.
The IDF responded that Hezbollah’s effectiveness with drones had depended on using smaller drones, which are harder to see in advance.
In order to attack with fiber cables extending 20-30 kilometers,Hezbollah would need to use larger drones carrying larger batteries, or the drones would run out of power before reaching their target.
Once Hezbollah would need to use larger drones, they would be easier to see and hit in advance, the IDF explained, showing that moving Hezbollah back could force it into difficult tactical choices.
Is Shi’ite Support For Hezbollah Weakening? – Ralph Atrach
On May 31, a Hezbollah-affiliated group called on supporters to gather in downtown Beirut to protest the Lebanese government’s support for diplomacy with Israel. Only a few dozen people showed up, a striking contrast to past years when Hezbollah could mobilize tens of thousands with ease. Days later, residents of Bayssarieh clashed with Hezbollah members who were reportedly moving military equipment into the southern Lebanese town.
Meanwhile, activists in Nabatieh and Tyre are increasingly voicing demands for stronger state authority in the southern towns, long dominated by Hezbollah, reflecting growing unease among the Shia over conditions in southern Lebanon. However, any effort to loosen Hezbollah’s grip on the Shia community will depend on a broader realization among its constituents that supporting Hezbollah is a losing strategy.
The Lebanese political writer Mona Fayad said that while more Shia appear willing to criticize Hezbollah, this should not be mistaken for a structured opposition capable of competing for power, which would be needed to overcome the social and psychological legacy of Hezbollah’s decades-long dominance. “We are talking about forty years of conditioning and entrenchment,” she said.
“The biggest indicator that Hezbollah lost the narrative of resistance is the military defeat happening in the south,” Fayad said. Hezbollah’s supporters are today displaced, and many of them are living in the streets because of Hezbollah. Today, many are in shock or denial. (This Is Beirut – Lebanon)
Slovenia Lifts Ban On Arms Trade With Israel
Slovenia’s government has revoked a 2025 decision banning the export and transit of weapons and military equipment to Israel, as well as most arms imports from the country, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday (11th),
The ministry said the ban, introduced in July, was no longer necessary, as the arms trade is already governed by national law and European Union rules.
It added that existing legislation and regulations already define licensing procedures and controls, and Thursday’s (11th) decision was also aligned with the EU Common Position on arms export controls.
The 2025 measure barred the export, transit of military goods to Israel and imports from Israel, exempting equipment needed for Slovenia’s security.
The measure was introduced under then-Prime Minister Robert Golob who said Slovenia was the first EU country to impose such an embargo.
In June, Slovenia’s parliament approved Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s center-right government, ending a political deadlock since a March election produced no outright majority.
Jansa’s election was hailed as “a new chapter in relations between Israel and Slovenia,” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar posted on X, June 4.
The post announced that Jansa and the Slovenian parliament had approved an Israeli embassy in Slovenia for the first time.
Jansa responded to Sa’ar’s post on X with his own, saying that “he is looking forward to a new era in Slovenia-Israel relations.”
Jansa is a long time supporter of Israel. He condemned Golob’s recognition of Palestine as a state, calling it “illegal.” He has repeatedly supported Israel’s right to defend itself making statements such as “Israel has the unequivocal right to defend itself against Hamas’ attacks. We stand with Israel.”
Under Janas’s predecessor, Robert Golob, Slovenia became one of the most hostile countries towards Israel, alongside Ireland and Spain. In May 2024, Slovenia announced its recognition of a Palestinian state, and in July 2025,Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were also sanctioned under his government.
Slovenia then imposed a travel ban on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in addition to the arms embargo. It also boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song contest in Vienna due to Israel’s participation.
When Israel Has Insisted On Its Sovereign Security Needs, It Has Earned Respect – Amb. Michael Oren
Ever since President Dwight D. Eisenhower demanded that Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion halt the Israel Defense Forces’ campaign against Egypt in Sinai in 1956, and later withdrawal from Gaza, the U.S.has consistently forced Israel to stop fighting and agree to a ceasefire. That was true in the 1967 Six-Day War, which Israel wanted to continue for an eighth day; in the 1973 Yom Kippur War; in both Lebanon wars; and in all our operations in Gaza.
Historically, U.S. presidents not only ordered Israel to stop fighting, they also opposed its decision to go to war in the first place. Yet Israel’s leaders determined that our basic security was at stake and decided to act, despite the risk of a rift with Washington. Ironically, every time Israel defied the White House and went to war, in 1948, in 1967, and in the 1981 strike on Iraq’s nuclear reactor, we earned America’s respect. Every time we surrendered to pressure and showed restraint, in 1973 and in the 1991 Gulf War, we earned America’s contempt.
Hezbollah will undoubtedly violate any ceasefire and continue attacking us. As in the past, Israel will have no choice but to act to defend the north, even if doing so risks not only war with Iran, but also an open confrontation with President Trump. With its eyes wide open to the potential cost, Israel must show that it is a sovereign country with an unshakable duty to defend its territory and its citizens. In the end, if history is our guide, Trump will respect us for it.
The writer was Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., 2009-13 (IsraelHayom)
