TEL AVIV—Israeli troops stationed in Lebanon are increasingly caught between US limits on Israel's military operations and domestic pressure to fight on against Iran-backed Hezbollah, leaving them in a no man's land that risks a resumption of the fighting that could derail the truce between Washington and Tehran.
On Tuesday, Israeli troops in southern Lebanon struck twice at what they said were Hezbollah militants threatening their positions around the Ali al-Taher ridge, home to what Israel says is an extensive underground Hezbollah fortress.
Israel is under pressure from the US to withdraw troops, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing to maintain a security zone inside Lebanon, people familiar with the matter said.
The US endorses a proposal for Israel to implement pilot projects where its troops pull back from limited areas in southern Lebanon and are replaced by the Lebanese army, one of the people said.
However, Israel has said it won't withdraw, and the US, Lebanon, and Israel were meeting in Washington on Tuesday to hammer out a path to ending the conflict.
Tehran required an end to the fighting in Lebanon as part of the preliminary peace deal signed with the US last week, leaving the US and Israel with different objectives after fighting closely together against Iran.
The divide has led to tense calls between Trump and Netanyahu in recent weeks.
Trump wants to wind down the unpopular conflict ahead of the midterms, while Netanyahu is under pressure from allies and opponents to press on with its campaign against Hezbollah ahead of elections this fall.
