Israel will not withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon, even if US demands it

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that he will maintain a military presence in southern Lebanon despite Washington's possible stance, TASS reports.

"Even if America demands it, we will not leave southern Lebanon," the state broadcaster Kan quotes him as saying.

Katz emphasized that Israel intends to prevent the return of Lebanese civilians to areas currently controlled by the Israeli army. "Two hundred thousand people will not return. There are no local residents or terrorists there, because we will not allow what happened in the security zones before. When civilians were present, there were improvised explosive devices and attacks on Israeli soldiers. We are not retreating," he stated.

Earlier, Iranian representatives at talks with the US demanded a complete ceasefire in Lebanon and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, warning that Tehran would otherwise close the Strait of Hormuz again. Israeli authorities, for their part, stated that they would not withdraw their army from Lebanon as long as the Jewish state perceives a threat to its northern regions from Hezbollah, and Israeli troops continue to hold their positions in southern Lebanon and have "complete freedom of action" to "eliminate emerging threats."