Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israeli forces could begin withdrawing from territory they hold in southern Lebanon after the Lebanese Cabinet’s “momentous decision” earlier this month to work toward the disarmament of the militant group Hezbollah by the end of 2025.

The Lebanese government and army are expected to finalize, by next week, an implementation plan for its decision to disarm Hezbollah. In a potentially game-changing development on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out the possibility of a phased IDF withdrawal from Lebanon,

The Israeli military has maintained a presence in southern Lebanon near the border since agreeing to the U.S.-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in November. Israel was to withdraw its forces within two months and Lebanon's armed forces were to take control of the country's south, territory that has long been a stronghold for Hezbollah.