Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israeli forces will remain in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, commenting on the newly reached framework deal between Israel and Lebanon under US sponsorship, Anadolu reports.
In a recorded statement, Netanyahu said: “The most important thing is that first of all, Israel remains in the security zone in southern Lebanon … we maintain it as long as Hezbollah has not disarmed.”
He said the agreement allows the deployment of the Lebanese army in designated areas based on “recommendation” by the Israeli army, with implementation set to begin through “two pilot phases.”
Netanyahu added that one of the two areas from which Israeli forces are expected to withdraw lies outside the “original security zone,” while a small part of the second area falls within what he described as the “expanded security zone.”
Lebanon and Israel signed a US-sponsored “framework deal” in Washington on Friday, concluding the fifth round of negotiations between the two sides.
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