Nadene Goldfoot
Defense Minister Israel Katz reiterated on Wednesday that
Israel will not withdraw from its “security zones” in Lebanon
and Syria, even if the United States were to demand it. He
said,
“The IDF must be on the enemy’s side of the border and
protect the communities from within the territory itself.” He
also
said that Israel would not allow Lebanese civilians back into
the security zones.
Meanwhile, IDF forces eliminated 2 armed
Hezbollah terrorists who were posing a threat near the security zone.
Israeli and Lebanese representatives resumed U.S.-mediated talks in Washington. Israeli and Lebanese diplomats have been holding a series of high-level peace talks in Washington, D.C.. These negotiations—hosted at the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon—mark the first direct diplomatic engagements between the two nations in decades.
Israel is demanding on a “step-
by-step” process in which the Lebanese army takes concrete
action on the ground to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure
before any Israeli pullback.
Israeli Ambassador Leiter said
Lebanon’s government must exercise its sovereignty by
ensuring that Iran is no longer involved in “malign activity or
influence” in the country. He called the latest round of talks
between the 2 countries a "train wreck", primarily due to the continuing influence of Iran in the situation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi reportedly told a senior
Hamas official that he would raise the Gaza issue in
negotiations with the U.S.
He stressed that the recent MOU
signed with the U.S. includes a cessation of fighting on
"all" fronts.
Who are Hamas officials today, anyway? Hamas's current
leadership operates primarily from abroad, as many of its
former political and military commanders in the Gaza Strip
have been eliminated in ongoing operations.
- Khaled Meshaal: Considered one of the founders of Hamas, he currently heads the group's political bureau abroad and operates primarily from Qatar.
Resource:
IsraelAM
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