On eve of direct Jerusalem-Beirut talks, Netanyahu vows to maintain presence in Lebanon

Source: The Times of Israel

Hours before the latest round of direct talks between Jerusalem and Beirut were slated to kick off in Washington, Israeli leaders vowed to maintain an ongoing presence in southern Lebanon, while the slated negotiations appeared to be somewhat sidelined by developments in US-Iran talks.

Lebanese authorities, meanwhile, sought to separate their negotiations with Israel from the wider regional talks led by the United States, as Beirut continues to try to minimize the influence of the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In a joint statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office late Monday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said that “the IDF will continue to act decisively to thwart threats to our soldiers and civilians, destroy terror infrastructure, and continue maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon.”

Israeli troops have maintained a presence in a self-described “security zone” in southern Lebanon along the entire border with Israel since at least April, stretching up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Lebanese territory, in some areas crossing the Litani River and reaching the outskirts of Nabatieh.



Read more: https://www.timesofisrael.com/on-eve-of-direct-jerusalem-beirut-talks-netanyahu-vows-to-maintain-presence-in-lebanon/