On Thursday, Israel’s Defense Minister stated that the country will not withdraw troops from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed. This clarified his previous statements, which could have been interpreted as Israel’s intention to stay in this territory indefinitely and which had drawn criticism from the United States.
Israel took control of part of southern Lebanon during the war with Hezbollah earlier this year. The country stated that it would keep troops there to protect northern Israel from attacks by the Iran-backed group. The latest escalation began after Hezbollah opened fire on Israel two days after the start of the US-Israel war against Iran.
The Israeli offensive forced hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, most of whom belong to the Shiite community that is Hezbollah’s main social base, to leave their homes. During a visit to southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “unequivocally made it clear that we are not withdrawing from this security zone,” adding: “we will clear this area and ensure the security of the northern residents.”
After his statement, a US State Department spokesman noted that a permanent Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon does not comply with the obligations under the agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, which is supported by the United States. This agreement provides for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops, linked to the verified disarmament of the group.
“The United States expects all parties to act in accordance with the Framework Agreement they have agreed to, and Israel has clearly stated that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon,” according to a written statement by an American official distributed to journalists. Hezbollah, founded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in 1982, strongly opposes Beirut’s negotiations with Israel and has ruled out any discussion of its weapons until Israeli troops withdraw.
Katz ordered preparations for a “prolonged presence”
On Thursday, Israel Katz stated that Israel “will not leave the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the Hezbollah threat throughout Lebanon is eliminated.” “I have instructed the IDF to prepare for a prolonged presence in this area to protect the combat forces and communities until this goal is fully achieved,” Katz added at a ceremony marking the establishment of an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.
The Likud party, to which Netanyahu and Katz belong, seeks to strengthen its security image among voters ahead of the October 27 elections — the first in Israel since the October 7, 2023 attacks led by Hamas. Katz’s statement echoes recent statements by Netanyahu regarding Gaza and Hamas. On Sunday, Netanyahu said that the latest roadmap by US President Donald Trump regarding Gaza was “unacceptable,” and that Israel would not withdraw from there until Hamas is disarmed.
The agreement between Lebanon and Israel, mediated by the United States, provides for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops, linked to the disarmament of Hezbollah and the transfer of control over the south of the country to the Lebanese army. This process includes the creation of “pilot zones.” A US State Department spokesman noted that the Lebanese army has already implemented the first “pilot zones,” and that Washington “will continue to support the full implementation of this process.”
A Beirut resident, Hussam Mneimneh, stated that Israel “cannot remain an occupier.” “There have been previous cases… they occupied Lebanon and then withdrew in one way or another — either through political negotiations or through war,” he said.
Source: The Straits Times
