Israeli officials have signaled readiness to complete a phased handover to the Lebanese army by the February 18 deadline under the June 2026 U.S.-mediated framework agreement, yet anonymous military sources state that forces will remain in southern Lebanon for years due to extensive Hezbollah infrastructure south of the Yellow Line. Recent weeks have seen continued IDF fortification of positions, winter preparations, and strikes, alongside stalled pilot-zone expansions beyond the single July handover in West Zawtar. Negotiations are scheduled to resume October 20 in Tampa, with deadlock persisting over sequencing—Israel conditions further withdrawals on verifiable Hezbollah disarmament, while Lebanese and Hezbollah positions tie progress to Israeli redeployment to the Blue Line. The process remains conditions-based rather than time-bound, with UNIFIL’s mandate ending in early 2027 adding further uncertainty to security arrangements.