Reports: Hochstein tells Lebanon Israel hasn't told US it'll stay in south

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has told Lebanon that the United States has not received any message from Israel about an intention to keep Israeli forces in south Lebanon beyond January 27, informed sources said.

The U.S. envoy, who is visiting Lebanon, declared that his country “will press Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon by January 27 at the latest,” the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.

Washington will also “press the Lebanese side to honor its commitments as to the Lebanese Army’s deployment in the positions vacated by Israel” and will call on Lebanon “not to allow Hezbollah’s fighters” to return to the south Litani region, the sources added.