In a position that runs counter to the course being pursued by Washington, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz indicated yesterday that “the Israeli army will not withdraw from the security zone in southern Lebanon.” During a visit to Israeli troops in the south, Katz said he had instructed the military “to take all necessary steps to ensure a long-term presence in the security zone in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.”

Responding to Katz’s remarks, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Nidaa Al Watan that Washington “expects all parties to act in accordance with the framework they agreed upon, and Israel has clearly stated that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon. A permanent military presence in southern Lebanon is not consistent with the commitments outlined in that framework and does not serve the long-term peace and security of either country.”

The source added that “the framework clearly includes a conditional pathway for a gradual redeployment, linked to a verified process of disarming Hezbollah and dismantling its infrastructure. The Lebanese Armed Forces are currently working to implement the first phase in the pilot area, and the United States will continue to support the full implementation of that process.”