Israeli soldiers in Lebanon are free to take action if under threat, Israel’s Katz says
Written by: Laila Bassam and Steven Scheer
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, June 21 (Reuters) – Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that Israeli soldiers are free to move without restrictions to eliminate threats in Lebanon, adding that soldiers remain in position in what Israel calls its security zone.
A ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah came into force on Friday after months of escalating violence, but at least 20 people were killed in Lebanon in Israeli attacks on Saturday, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported.
Israel said the attacks were in response to shells fired by the Iran-backed group at its troops in southern Lebanon, prompting attacks on what an Israeli official described as “Hezbollah targets”.
A Hezbollah official told Reuters the group was committed to the ceasefire as long as Israel remained committed, adding that Israeli forces did not have the right to freedom of movement in southern Lebanon.
The official said Hezbollah forces had not opened fire on Israeli soldiers since 18:30 (15:30 GMT) on Saturday.
Security sources told Reuters that Israel has not launched a major attack on Lebanon since the same date. This represents the longest period without a major attack since the war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel began on March 2.
When asked by Reuters when Israel last opened fire on Lebanon or interacted with Hezbollah, the Israeli military declined to give a “specific time.” The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the claim that they ceased fire after 6.30pm on Saturday.
Iranian officials said Lebanon is the focus of peace talks with the United States to be held in Switzerland on Sunday after Washington and Tehran signed a framework to stop the war between them that started at the end of February and has escalated tensions in the region.
The Israeli army occupied parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah argues that it has the right to fight Israeli forces in Lebanon but will stop attacks on northern Israel.
Katz said Israeli troops would remain at all positions in what he called the security zone, which extends about 10 km (6 miles) into southern Lebanon.
Israel says this is to protect northern Israeli communities.
“All achievements of the IDF in the operation in Lebanon are preserved,” Katz said in a statement on Sunday.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer and Nazih OsseiranWriting by Nayera AbdallahEdited by David Goodman and Barbara Lewis)
