Israel: The Israeli army will disband civilian ‘alert squads’ deployed in settlements in northern Israel following a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon and a revised security assessment, Israeli media reported on Monday. The squads are armed civilian groups with limited training, usually made up of Israelis living in border settlements or reserve volunteers, tasked with responding immediately to surprise attacks or infiltration attempts.

According to Anadolu Agency, Israel’s Channel 12 said the army informed the squads in the northern settlements that they would be demobilized next Sunday in light of the ceasefire and the changing security situation. The decision is part of a shift to what the army described as a ‘green’ defense policy, meaning a return to full routine conditions. All active personnel serving in the squads in the area will be released under the decision, the report added.

The Hebrew outlet Reshut, which covers settlement affairs, said around 13,500 personnel were serving in alert squads under Israel’s National Security Ministry across northern and southern Israel and illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank as of last month. The move comes after US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian electronically signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18, followed by direct talks on Sunday aimed at reaching a final agreement to end the war.

The memorandum includes a cessation of hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for global energy supplies, and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iran. Despite the agreement, several Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and military chief Eyal Zamir, have insisted Israel will not withdraw from the territory occupied in southern Lebanon. On Sunday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem rejected any ceasefire granting Israel ‘freedom of action’ in Lebanon.