Senior Trump administration officials said Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon will take place only after Hezbollah is disarmed and the security threat is removed.
“The framework between Israel and Lebanon establishes a clear, conditions-based arrangement,” the officials told Walla. “Israel will redeploy its forces from Lebanese territory in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament and the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty throughout its territory.”
The officials said implementation of the framework is intended to achieve three goals: restoring Lebanese sovereignty, dismantling Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure and enabling Israel to return to secure borders after the security threat is removed.
They added that the IDF began redeploying its forces in the area of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh when the pilot program began last week. The officials said this was a direct result of talks held between Israel and Lebanon in Rome approximately 10 days earlier, and that the United States would continue working with both sides until the framework is fully implemented.
The American officials did not answer a question regarding a possible Israeli withdrawal from Syria.
The comments came ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Trump at the White House, where Iran is expected to be a central topic. Netanyahu is expected to present information regarding Iran’s continued progress toward a nuclear weapon despite the damage it sustained during the war and urge Trump to take action.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
