Israel on Thursday rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that it would withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying Israeli forces would remain in the security
zones for as long as necessary.
“We did not ask anyone’s permission to enter Lebanon, and we do not need permission to stay in Lebanon,” Katz stated.
He added that it was Israel’s “privilege and right” to protect its citizens from Hezbollah and said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would continue operating in southern Lebanon until the group was fully disarmed and no longer posed a threat.
Trump had earlier said he expected Israel to pull its troops out of Lebanon after speaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump said he believed Israel was ready to take that step.
“Yeah, I think they’re going to. I think they want to,” Trump said. “So we have a deal with Israel and Lebanon. Yeah, they’ll leave. And I think it’s going to work out very well.”
Last week, Netanyahu visited Lebanese territory under Israeli military control, telling troops that Israel would not withdraw from southern Lebanon as long as Iran-backed Hezbollah remained a threat.
On June 26, Israel and Lebanon reached a US-mediated security agreement under which Israel agreed to hand over two areas to the Lebanese army.
