Israel Negotiates with US to Keep Troops in Southern Lebanon

Israel is holding talks with Washington over maintaining its military presence in southern Lebanon, two Israeli officials told Reuters. One of them is a senior source close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The discussions come a day after the United States and Iran signed an interim agreement that calls, among other things, for respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Israel expanded its operations in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah began firing on Israeli territory on 2 March in support of Iran. It subsequently launched a large-scale air and ground campaign aimed at weakening the terror group.

One source said Israel was insisting on retaining its positions, including troops south of the Litani River. It describes the areas it occupies in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and Syria as buffer zones separating it from hostile forces.

A second Israeli official said the outcome of the talks would also depend on US President Donald Trump’s position and whether he would pressure Israel to comply with the terms of the agreement with Iran.

(Reuters, bak)