Israeli defence minister says 'no US demand' to withdraw from Lebanon

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the United States has not demanded that Israel withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon, a condition set by Lebanon in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

"We have announced that in any case we are not withdrawing and, as of this moment -- and this is a diplomatic achievement -- there is no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon," Katz said in an interview at a convention of local leaders in Tel Aviv.

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When asked if the army would adhere to such a US request if it was made, Katz said he told US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US President Donald Trump that "we are there to protect the residents of the north" of Israel.

In a speech at the same conference, Netanyahu reiterated that the Israeli military is not expected to withdraw.

"As long as I am Prime Minister, we will maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon -- for as long as it is necessary," he said, adding that the army is now "dismantling all of (Hezbollah's) ground infrastructure".

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun rejected Israel's occupation of the south and foreign interference in his country's affairs -- an allusion to Hezbollah's backer Iran -- as a fifth round of Israel-Lebanon talks began in Washington on Tuesday.

Tehran has also reiterated that peace in Lebanon was a fundamental pillar of reaching a definitive agreement with Washington for an overall end to the Middle East war.

Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last week aimed at reaching a permanent settlement between the two countries, following the war launched by the US and Israel on Iran on February 28.

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Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground offensive that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,100 people, which led to the occupation of a 10-kilometre (six-mile) security zone in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel.

Israeli officials have insisted that the country will retain control of that zone.

On Monday, Netanyahu said Israeli forces in Lebanon retained "full freedom of action to thwart any direct or developing threat".

Israel and Lebanon are currently involved in a US-mediated round of talks in Washington to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict and the disarmament of Hezbollah and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.