Israel Ties Lebanon Withdrawal to Hezbollah Disarmament Amid US Criticism

Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the threat posed by the group is removed, Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Thursday. This statement followed remarks made by Katz on Wednesday suggesting that Israeli forces would occupy the territory indefinitely, which drew criticism from the United States. A U.S. State Department official stated that a permanent military presence in south Lebanon is not consistent with the commitments of a U.S. backed deal between Israel and Lebanon's government.

The agreement foresees a progressive Israeli withdrawal linked to the verified disarmament of non state armed groups. While the U.S. official noted that the Lebanese military is implementing the first pilot zones, Hezbollah has rejected disarming and opposes Beirut's talks with Israel. Katz has instructed the IDF to prepare for an extended presence in the area to protect forces and communities until the disarmament goal is achieved.

Separately, a Lebanese official on Thursday denied a report that Beirut had agreed with Israel to a shortlist of countries to verify Hezbollah's disarmament. While a previous report suggested that Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia were potential contributors to the verification mechanism, the Lebanese official stated that no such agreement exists and that Beirut is still in discussions with the United States. A State Department official confirmed that meetings in Rome discussed third party verification but did not mention a specific shortlist of countries.