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A permanent Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon is “inconsistent” with a U.S.-sponsored framework agreement signed in June and undermines long-term peace, a senior U.S. State Department official said Wednesday.
The unnamed official’s remarks came in response to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s statement that Israel did not intend to withdraw from southern Lebanon, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
“The U.S. expects all parties to act in a manner consistent with the framework they agreed to, and Israel has made it clear that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon,” the official said.
“A permanent military presence in southern Lebanon is inconsistent with the commitments set forth in the framework, or with the long-term peace and security of both countries,” the official added.
The official reaffirmed Washington’s “full support for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
The official said the framework agreement clearly establishes a conditions-based pathway under which the Israeli army will gradually redeploy, provided Hezbollah is disarmed and its infrastructure is dismantled in a verifiable manner.
The Lebanese army has begun operating in several initial pilot zones designated under the agreement, with Washington saying it will continue supporting the process, the official added.
Earlier Wednesday, Katz said during a tour of southern Lebanon that the Israeli army presence there would continue indefinitely.
“We will not move from here and we will not withdraw,” he said.
“We will secure this area and ensure the security of residents in the north,” Katz added.
Under U.S. sponsorship, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a framework agreement on June 26 that calls for Israel’s gradual withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.
Israel continues its offensive against Lebanon, which began March 2, killing 4,335 people, injuring 12,277 and displacing more than 1 million residents, according to Lebanese authorities.
In Lebanon, the occupied area refers to territory under Israeli military control in the south, extending up to about 10 kilometers (6 miles) in some areas.
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