Israel insists on full operational freedom in Southern Lebanon
Shafaq News- Middle East (Updated at 20:25)
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israeli troops will remain in the “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon ''for as long as necessary,'' arguing that Tel Aviv must retain full freedom to act against any perceived threat.
In a video address, he accused Hezbollah of repeated ceasefire violations, insisting that Israel is operating in a defensive posture to deter threats from the group.
Echoing Netanyahu’s position, Defense Minister Israel Katz maintained that Israel will continue destroying any “terror infrastructure” in southern Lebanon.
US-Iran talks concluded in Switzerland on Sunday with the Lebanese file at the top of the agenda. Both sides agreed to form a “de-confliction cell” aimed at ending military operations in Lebanon. Tehran has repeatedly stressed that addressing the situation is essential to moving forward with the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Hezbollah, meanwhile, placed full responsibility for ceasefire violations on Israel, urging the United States and other countries to push for compliance.
Channel 12, citing a security source, reported that the White House is not exerting pressure on Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon, while noting that Tel Aviv could still agree to a gradual pullback from certain areas.
The report added that the military has begun scaling back emergency preparedness measures in northern Israel, informing local response units that the call-up of all personnel will end next week as the ceasefire continues.
According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, 4,175 Lebanese have been killed and 12,164 wounded in Israeli strikes since hostilities resumed on March 2. Israeli army figures record 30 soldiers killed and dozens wounded.
