Lebanese President Joseph Aoun defended ongoing negotiations with Israel on Thursday, insisting they did not amount to betrayal and vowing not to cede “a single inch” of Lebanese territory.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the Israeli army would remain "until further notice" in what it describes as "security zones" in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
Lebanon signed last week a U.S.-backed framework agreement with Israel to secure peace between the two countries – a move that has been met with major protests from Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Negotiations with Israel are not "treason but a diplomatic war without unnecessary bloodshed," Aoun said Thursday.
The latest war erupted on March 2 when Hezbollah launched missiles at Israel in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader.
