US State Department: Israel's permanent military presence in southern Lebanon contradicts the agreed upon framework

An official at the US State Department said, in an official statement, that Washington expects all parties to adhere to the framework it agreed to, noting that Israel had previously made clear that it does not aim to occupy Lebanese territory, and that any permanent military presence in southern Lebanon is neither consistent with the commitments of the framework nor with long-term peace and security for both countries.

He stressed that these statements contradict Israel's previous assertions that it does not have any regional ambitions in Lebanon, and undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at establishing stability in the region.

The statement affirmed the United States’ full support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon, noting that the framework agreement brokered by Washington includes a conditions-based path for gradual redeployment, linked to the verified disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantling of its infrastructure, while praising the Lebanese Army’s implementation of the first pilot zone, and affirming continued American support for this process.

This response came after Katz's visit to southern Lebanon, where he announced that the Israeli army was "here to stay" in the security areas of Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. He instructed the army to prepare for a long-term presence, rejecting any withdrawal. He also boasted again of destroying all homes in certain areas, after he had previously reported leveling dozens of villages in the south under the pretext that they contained Hezbollah infrastructure, which sparked accusations of war crimes, in the context of the escalation of his rhetoric as the Israeli elections approached.