Katz: Israeli troops to stay in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza
Shafaq News- Middle East
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that he had agreed with the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, that Israeli forces would not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza.
Katz stressed that there would be no further Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon beyond the two initial pilot zones, Froun and Zawtar al-Shaqiya, until Hezbollah is fully disarmed. He also described linking the Iranian and Lebanese files as being "in the American interest," arguing that without such a linkage, "Hezbollah would have collapsed."
“Israel had adopted an alternative strategy after the US-imposed constraints,” Katz noted, saying the military would deepen the "Yellow Line" security zone in southern Lebanon, and expressing skepticism that Lebanese army troops would move against Hezbollah; therefore, “Israel's military presence in Lebanon would be long-term."
On Friday, Lebanon and Israel signed a US-brokered framework agreement providing for a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for the Lebanese army's deployment and the disarmament of armed groups. Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, and other political factions rejected the deal as a threat to Lebanese sovereignty. Israeli officials have insisted no withdrawal will take place before Hezbollah disarms, while leaked details of a reported secret security annex suggest Israeli forces would retain operational freedom in southern Lebanon without a fixed withdrawal timetable. The Lebanese army is expected to begin deploying to the first two pilot zones under US supervision as implementation of the agreement gets underway.
