Israel's Stance on Southern Lebanon Border Raises Ceasefire Doubts

Lebanon is where words like "agreement" and "ceasefire" are tested against the lives of people who live with war and its aftermath.

It sits at the heart of a U.S.-Iran agreement meant to halt fighting across the region, including along its southern border. Israel's ambassador to the United States told NPR on Tuesday that Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, raising questions about what the framework even means in practice.

Speaking from Beirut, Lebanon's former ambassador to Jordan, Tracy Chamoun, told Morning Edition on Thursday, that as far as she's concerned, Israel's "ambitions are not just about Hezbollah, but they're also about acquiring territory in South Lebanon, which they've made very clear."

Chamoun pointed to what she described as an expanded security zone, saying it "extends about 10 kilometers into Lebanon, and they've gone way beyond that," encompassing areas tied to future energy resources and access to the Litani River.

She said any continued foreign military presence inside Lebanon would violate sovereignty and complicate ongoing efforts to secure a durable cease-fire.

Chamoun added, "the best case scenario is that Israel complies in the first instance to retreat back to what they call their security zone," which would mean Israel would occupy about 6% of Lebanese territory rather than the about 25% it currently occupies. After that, she said, "they can sit and have negotiations with the Lebanese about defining the borders … and about the disarmament of Hezbollah within a larger context of a national defense strategy for Lebanon."

Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue play button above.

The digital version of this interview was written by Majd Al-Waheidi and edited by Suzanne Nuyen.