Netanyahu ‘convinces’ Trump to back Israeli occupation of south Lebanon: Report
Despite US claims of an Israeli withdrawal, Lebanese
officials report aggressive violations by the occupation
JUN 25, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly
“convinced” US President Donald Trump to support a continued Israeli occupation
of southern Lebanon, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on 25 June.
This strategy ensures Israel remains entrenched in
occupied Lebanese territory under a “full ceasefire” that reserves Tel Aviv's
“right” to strike perceived threats at its own discretion.
According to the Hebrew outlet, sources described the
fifth round of Washington-led negotiations between Lebanon and Israel as the
worst round yet, marked by a “tense and negative” atmosphere.
While the US pressures for “pilot zones” where the
Lebanese army might deploy, Israeli officials admit that internal political
constraints and approaching elections make any withdrawal nearly
impossible.
Both sides are reportedly frustrated by the inclusion
of a Lebanon-related clause in the Iran–US memorandum of understanding (MoU),
which Washington allegedly added without consulting either side, under Iranian
pressure.
Hezbollah has complied with the terms of the
ceasefire, even as Israeli forces continue sporadic strikes, such as one drone
attack on Thursday that killed three people near Maifadoun, in southeastern
Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz insists Israeli
occupation forces will not withdraw from Lebanon “even if there is an American
demand,” telling local officials in Tel Aviv that over 200,000 Lebanese
civilians “will not return” to their homes.
The US State Department previously claimed Israel had
scaled back its presence as a “good faith” gesture; however, both Lebanese and
Israeli sources denied the claim, with Israeli military sources confirming no
withdrawal orders have been issued.
Lebanese military officials report the opposite of a
pullback, noting that Israeli forces are aggressively enforcing buffer zones
even against the Lebanese army, and reportedly reversed a previous decision to
exit Wazzani and Ain Arab.
For its part, Hezbollah says it is continuing to
monitor the “blatant violations” of the truce, specifically citing a drone
strike in Dawhat Kfar Rumman that killed two civilians, including a municipal
worker, while they inspected their homes.
The nonstop violations have prompted Tehran to warn
that its high-level talks with Washington will be “halted” should Israel refuse
to end its occupation of Lebanese territory.
Under Tehran's pressure, a cessation of hostilities
was previously imposed, yet Tel Aviv continues to insist on its unilateral
“freedom of action” across the border.
Earlier on Thursday, the head of Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, demanded the withdrawal of occupation forces from “all of Lebanon,"
stressing that if they do not withdraw, Israeli troops will be “forced to flee
in humiliation and defeat."
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario