Israel holds 'stubborn' talks with U.S. to keep troops in south Lebanon, report says
Israel is holding negotiations with the United States as it seeks to maintain its troop deployment in southern Lebanon, media reports said, as the U.S. and Iran signed a deal to end the war including in Lebanon, although Israel and Hezbollah aren't parties to the agreement.
Iran insists Israel must withdraw from the large swath of southern Lebanon it has occupied since March, but the interim deal doesn't explicitly require that and only affirms a commitment to ensuring Lebanon's "territorial integrity."
A senior Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said that Israel is currently "conducting stubborn negotiations" with Washington to secure its military presence in the south and that it will not back down on keeping forces deployed there.
Meanwhile, a second Israeli official noted that everything depends on U.S. President Donald Trump. The official reportedly said the final decision hinges on whether Trump decides to force Israel to follow the U.S.-Iran deal by threatening to penalize them if they refuse.
Local reports say Tehran has assured its allies that a phased, gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon is a binding part of the U.S. deal and that it would not sign the final nuclear pact at the end of the 60-day window unless Israel is completely gone. This means the gradual withdrawal must begin and conclude within the 60-day negotiation window.
According to Israeli Ynetnews, Israel opposes any withdrawal before an effective agreement with Lebanon is reached. But a senior Israeli official told the daily that it will be "incredibly difficult" for Netanyahu to oppose a withdrawal from Lebanon as the pressure on him grows.
Lebanese and Israeli representatives will hold talks in Washington next week and Lebanese authorities have firmly insisted that the state alone is sovereign in its decision-making, emphasizing that no outside country —specifically referencing Iran— has the right to negotiate on Lebanon's behalf.
Source: Naharnet
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