Israel’s defence minister says Israeli troops have been told to prepare for a prolonged occupation in the so-called security zone the army occupies in southern Lebanon.
“The prime minister and I have instructed the [Israeli military] to prepare for an extended stay in the security zone”, Israel Katz said in a video statement.
His comments came after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-brokered framework that aims to end hostilities and transfer territory to the Lebanese army.
But Katz said Israel would not pull back from southern Lebanon unless Hezbollah disarms across the country.
He added that “there will be no redeployment by Israel in southern Lebanon, no withdrawal, as long as the terrorist organisation Hezbollah is not disarmed throughout Lebanon”, describing it as “the important principle established in the agreement”.
