Israel signaled it is not planning to pull back from southern Lebanon, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying there would be no withdrawal even if the United States demanded one. His remarks underscore a major sticking point for any Iran-involved US-led peace effort: Tehran has repeatedly framed a ceasefire in Lebanon as central to negotiations with the US, meaning Israel’s continued presence in the area reduces the pressure on Hezbollah and Israel to reach a durable settlement.
At the same time, Reuters reporting referenced talks between Israel and Lebanon on a US-backed plan that would gradually hand parts of the territory Israel has occupied to Lebanese armed forces—while Israel maintains a military presence in a security/buffer zone. Even so, Israel’s public stance that it will not withdraw broadly from southern Lebanon continues to conflict with Iran’s insistence that Israel must leave.
The coverage also places the controversy within wider diplomacy efforts: the US Secretary of State was described as touring regional states to address concerns about a proposed US-Iran arrangement, including disputes over elements of the plan such as financial incentives and provisions related to Iran’s nuclear program.
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