US official to Asharq: We expect Israel to abide by the framework agreement with Lebanon
A US State Department official said the United States expects Israel to act in accordance with the framework agreed with Lebanon, in response to comments by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said that Israeli forces would not withdraw from areas they have seized in Lebanon and Syria.
The US official told Asharq that Israel had “made clear that it does not aspire to any territorial gains or objectives in Lebanon,” adding that “a permanent military presence in southern Lebanon is not consistent with the commitments made under the framework, nor with the long-term peace and security requirements of both states.”
The official stressed that the United States fully supports Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding: “The framework clearly includes a conditional pathway based on the phased redeployment of forces, linked to the disarmament and verification of Hezbollah and the dismantling of its infrastructure. The Lebanese Armed Forces are currently implementing the initial test areas, and the United States will continue to support the full implementation of this process.”
Since October 2023, Israel has adopted a more expansionist and aggressive military doctrine, embraced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seizing around 1,000 square kilometers of territory in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
