Netanyahu Says Israel Will Remain in Lebanon Security Zones After Iran Victory

Benjamin Netanyahu hailed a “historic victory over Iran” and ruled out any immediate withdrawal from Lebanon, saying Israel’s forces would remain in “security zones” “for as long as necessary,” including in Lebanon and Syria.

“Toggle Play Lebanon Latest: Cautious optimism after ceasefire deal Read more Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr brings you the latest from southern Lebanon as people begin returning home under a fragile ceasefire”

Al Jazeera

The Guardian reported that European fashion retailers faced scrutiny after a fire at a factory that supplied them killed at least 33 garment workers in Bangladesh, but the Lebanon-focused reporting in the provided sources centers on the US-Iran ceasefire framework and Israel’s stated posture in Lebanon.

Al Jazeera

In the same Guardian account, the apparent terms of the interim US-Iran agreement included a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel launched a wide-ranging offensive after attacks on northern Israel by Hezbollah at the beginning of a 15-week-long conflict.

The Guardian also described relative calm in southern Lebanon on Monday, while sporadic violence persisted as Israeli troops remained in territory they had occupied in the three-month war, and it cited an Israeli drone strike that killed one person in Kfar Tebnit.

The Guardian further reported that Hezbollah welcomed the US-Iran deal as resulting in a comprehensive ceasefire including in Lebanon, while Israeli military sources quoted by the Jerusalem Post said that if Hezbollah respected the ceasefire, Israeli forces would not attack anywhere in Lebanon.

As the US-Iran preliminary agreement prompted “cautious optimism,” CBC reported that Donald Trump posted, “There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel,” urging both sides not to “blow it.”

CBC said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz stated, “Israel will not tolerate firing into its territory,” as Israeli strikes on Beirut targeted Hezbollah infrastructure despite ongoing efforts to negotiate an end to the war.

CBC

In the same period, The Jerusalem Post reported that “Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon” and that if Hezbollah respects the ceasefire, “there will be no attacks anywhere in Lebanon.”

The Jerusalem Post also quoted a senior White House source confirming to Walla that an IDF withdrawal from Lebanon was “not part of the deal,” framing the dispute over whether Israel would pull back as a central sticking point.

Meanwhile, Novinite said Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz made clear that “Israel would not withdraw from territory seized in southern Lebanon,” warning that any Iranian response linked to Israeli operations against Hezbollah would be met with force.

The Guardian reported that Israel’s opposition politicians attacked the US-Iran interim deal, with Yair Golan saying Netanyahu had allowed “military achievements won through the courage of [Israel’s armed forces] to be erased,” and Naftali Bennett calling Netanyahu “incapable of achieving a decisive victory.”

“The trilateral declaration [Israel, Lebanon, and the United States], mediated by the United States and published on Wednesday by the U”

Contretemps

The Guardian also said far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition called for Israel to ignore the terms of the deal, while US officials sought to reassure Israel that withdrawal from Lebanon was not a condition of a pact between the US and Iran.

In parallel, tv5monde reported that Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not withdraw from occupied zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza for an indefinite period, and it described Israeli bombardments continuing in Lebanon despite the fragile ceasefire.

Franceinfo added that the agreement provided for “the immediate and definitive end to the war and to military operations on the various fronts, including Lebanon,” but it also noted that attacks were nonetheless continuing in Lebanon shortly before the announcement.

Franceinfo further reported that Israel Katz said “Control of territory and the maintenance of security zones are among the Israeli army's greatest achievements” and that Israel opposed withdrawing the army from Lebanon despite pressures, while it warned that Israel would respond with “all its might” if Iran retaliated to Israeli bombardments in Lebanon.