Israel conditions south Lebanon withdrawal on Hezbollah disarmament as Lebanon accuses Israel of systematic destruction

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Israeli forces would not withdraw from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains armed, walking back remarks made the previous day during a visit to southern Lebanon in which he appeared to suggest an indefinite Israeli military presence — comments that drew criticism from the United States and Lebanon's government.

During his Wednesday visit to southern Lebanon, Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been 'unequivocally clear' that Israeli forces were 'not withdrawing from this security zone', and that the area would be cleansed to ensure security for northern Israeli residents. He also acknowledged that Israeli forces were destroying underground infrastructure and houses in the region, according to Al Jazeera.

On Thursday, Katz revised his framing, stating that Israel would 'not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon as long as Hezbollah is not disarmed and the threat of Hezbollah in all of Lebanon is not removed'. He also said he had instructed the Israeli military to prepare for an 'extended presence' in the area, in remarks delivered at a ceremony marking a settlement establishment in the occupied West Bank, according to The Straits Times.

A US-mediated framework agreement, described by both sources as reached in Washington in June, foresees a gradual Israeli withdrawal linked to verified Hezbollah disarmament and the deployment of the Lebanese army to replace Israeli forces, beginning with limited 'pilot zones'. A US State Department official, responding to Katz's Wednesday remarks, said a permanent Israeli military presence in south Lebanon was not consistent with commitments set out in the agreement, and that Israel 'has clearly stated that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon'.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday accused Israel of deliberately destroying homes and civilian infrastructure, saying Israeli 'attacks, incursions, demolitions and the systematic destruction of homes represent a serious violation of the principles and rules of international law and international humanitarian law'. He rejected Israeli claims that destroyed villages were military sites, saying the justification 'does not stand up to any logic'.

According to Al Jazeera, on August 5 Israel launched strikes on the town of Mansouri following an accusation that Hezbollah had committed a ceasefire violation that killed two Israeli soldiers near Majdal Zoun. The Israeli military subsequently ordered residents to evacuate Mansouri. A separate attack killed one person and wounded 11, and a day later an Israeli strike hit a home in Burj al-Shemali, according to Al Jazeera. Hezbollah did not claim the attack that killed the two Israeli soldiers and made no public statement addressing it directly, according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera reports that Lebanese authorities say Israeli strikes and ground operations since March have killed 4,333 people and displaced more than one million — roughly a fifth of Lebanon's population — with these figures continuing to rise after the ceasefire nominally took effect on April 17.

According to Al Jazeera, Lebanon and Israel have held seven rounds of US-mediated talks — four in Washington and three in Rome — aimed at implementing the framework agreement. Two US senators have separately proposed a $1.2 billion security assistance package for Lebanon over five years, with part of the funding tied to progress on Hezbollah's disarmament, according to Al Jazeera.

According to The Straits Times, Katz's remarks echoed those made by Netanyahu on Gaza, where on Sunday the Israeli prime minister called the latest US Gaza roadmap 'unacceptable' and said Israel would not withdraw before Hamas is disarmed. Netanyahu's Likud party, to which Katz belongs, is seeking to bolster its security credentials ahead of an Israeli election scheduled for October 27, The Straits Times notes.

Hezbollah, which is not a party to the Lebanon-Israel talks, has said it will pull back from south of the Litani River but will not disarm north of it, according to Al Jazeera. The Straits Times reports that Hezbollah has ruled out any discussion of its weapons before an Israeli withdrawal.

Where sources differ

• The two sources describe Hezbollah's position on disarmament with slightly different emphasis: The Straits Times states Hezbollah 'strongly opposes Beirut's talks with Israel and has ruled out any discussion of its weapons before an Israeli withdrawal', while Al Jazeera reports Hezbollah 'will pull back from south of the Litani River but will not disarm to the north' — suggesting Al Jazeera presents a more nuanced Hezbollah position that includes a partial territorial concession.
• The two sources differ on the date Lebanon was drawn into hostilities: Al Jazeera states Lebanon was drawn into the US and Israel's war on Iran on March 2, while The Straits Times states Hezbollah opened fire at Israel 'two days into the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran', without specifying a date for Lebanon's entry.

• Neither source establishes an independent verification of the Lebanese government's casualty and displacement figures (4,333 killed, over one million displaced).
• Neither source provides Israel's response to Lebanon's accusation of systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, beyond the general claim that destroyed villages were military sites.
• Neither source confirms whether Hezbollah was responsible for the attack that killed two Israeli soldiers near Majdal Zoun; Hezbollah did not claim or address it.
• Neither source details what specific conditions or timeline would constitute sufficient Hezbollah disarmament to trigger an Israeli withdrawal.
• Neither source clarifies whether Netanyahu endorsed or distanced himself from Katz's original Wednesday remarks suggesting indefinite occupation.
• The status and progress of the pilot zones process — and whether any have been formally completed — is not established by either source.
• The details and current status of the proposed $1.2 billion US Senate security assistance package for Lebanon are not elaborated upon.

1. The Straits Times — original — by The Straits Times
2. Al Jazeera English — by Al Jazeera Staff

Read the original at The Straits Times

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