Israel’s defence minister has said Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon, a declaration that adds a new obstacle to US-Iran talks after Tehran tied progress to an end to the fighting there.
Israel Katz told a conference in Tel Aviv that Israeli troops would not pull back from the area. “The IDF is prepared … and we are not retreating. We announced that in any case we are not withdrawing, and as of this moment – and this is a political achievement – there is no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon,” he said.
The comments came after the US and Iran signed an accord last week extending a fragile ceasefire and opening a 60-day negotiating window aimed at a longer-term settlement. Lebanon has become one of the sharpest points of disagreement, with Iran insisting that Israel stop its campaign and withdraw from southern Lebanese territory.
Israel describes the area it holds as a security zone. The Lebanese government is involved in US-mediated talks with Israel over a possible withdrawal and a handover to the Lebanese army, which would be expected to prevent Hezbollah fighters from operating there. Hezbollah is not part of those talks.
Violence continued on Wednesday. Lebanese state media said an Israeli drone strike near Kfar Rumman killed two people. Hezbollah accused Israel of violating the ceasefire. The Israeli military said it had targeted two Hezbollah fighters near Nabatieh and later a vehicle it described as carrying suspects, saying it would keep acting to “remove immediate threats.”
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Lebanon was central to Tehran’s position. “For us, a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important as a ceasefire in Iran and, further, an end to the war in Lebanon is as important as an end to the war in Iran,” he said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Gulf states after the accord, said allies’ concerns over the Iran deal would “most certainly come up in these discussions.”
