As he visited troops in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the military “will not leave” the area as long as the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah remains a “threat” to his nation.
A day earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also said Israel’s military will not withdraw “a millimetre” until Hezbollah is disarmed.
But the Israeli stance is squarely at odds with the first clause of the US-Iran MoU, which provides for an immediate, permanent halt to fighting on “all fronts”, including in Lebanon where Israeli forces have occupied approximately one-fifth of the country since early March.
That provision has since been undercut by a separate US-brokered framework agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, which doesn’t require Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon or halt attacks.
The result has been an entrenchment of Israel’s military presence in Lebanon.
Is Israel’s position bluster for a domestic audience, or a hard line that could unravel the fragile MoU?
-Al Jazeera
A day earlier, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also said Israel’s military will not withdraw “a millimetre” until Hezbollah is disarmed.
But the Israeli stance is squarely at odds with the first clause of the US-Iran MoU, which provides for an immediate, permanent halt to fighting on “all fronts”, including in Lebanon where Israeli forces have occupied approximately one-fifth of the country since early March.
That provision has since been undercut by a separate US-brokered framework agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, which doesn’t require Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon or halt attacks.
The result has been an entrenchment of Israel’s military presence in Lebanon.
Is Israel’s position bluster for a domestic audience, or a hard line that could unravel the fragile MoU?
-Al Jazeera
