Israeli PM Netanyahu stated on Thursday that Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon in the foreseeable future, citing security needs and the "security zone" as a barrier against Hezbollah. Lebanon considers the area occupied territory.
Lebanese media reports indicate the government's commitment to leading its own negotiation path, distinct from Tehran-Washington talks. Hezbollah's Secretary-General vowed to defeat Israel and urged the government to halt direct negotiations.
The US strongly condemned Hezbollah's call for the Lebanese government to step down, accusing the group of destabilizing the country and disregarding calls for a ceasefire with Israel. The US expressed support for the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem called for the Lebanese government to step down, rejecting direct negotiations with Israel and reaffirming the party's commitment to its arms. He criticized the government's performance and insisted on indirect talks with Israel.
Hezbollah fired rockets and drones into northern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the Israeli military of violating a ceasefire that came into effect last Thursday. The Israeli military said Iran-aligned Hezbollah fired several rockets toward its troops in southern Lebanon, calling it a "blatant violation" of the truce mediated by Washington. Israeli forces remain deployed in a 5-10 km belt of Lebanese border land, creating a buffer zone. Both sides accused each other of attacking civilians and destroying homes in breach of the agreement, with US-mediated talks scheduled for this week.
Hezbollah has sharply criticized Lebanon's negotiations with Israel, urging President Joseph Aoun to withdraw from talks set for their second round on Thursday in Washington. The Iran-backed militant group expressed support for the 10-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump after the first round of direct talks in decades, but warned the negotiations were not in Lebanon's interest. Israeli strikes continued in southern Lebanon despite the truce, with a drone strike in Qaqaiyat al-Jisr and artillery shelling in Hula.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said planned talks with Israel aim to end hostilities and the occupation in southern Lebanon, as a fragile 10-day ceasefire holds. New talks between Lebanese and Israeli US ambassadors will take place on Thursday in Washington, the first direct talks between the countries in decades. Hezbollah has sharply criticised the negotiations, with a Hezbollah lawmaker saying it was in Aoun's and Lebanon's interest to withdraw from the talks.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on June 6 that Israel will continue striking Beirut if Lebanon does not disarm Hezbollah, demanding the Lebanese government prevent the Shiite movement from producing drones threatening Israeli settlements. The warning came after Israeli airstrikes on June 5 targeted Hezbollah facilities in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, specifically drone assembly workshops and warehouses.
