Netanyahu says Israel will keep occupying southern Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel will maintain its military occupation of southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement issued by his office. The statement followed a meeting involving Netanyahu, Minister of Military Affairs Israel Katz, Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir, and Northern Command Chief Ori Gordin. It said the Israeli army would continue offensives aimed at neutralizing threats against Israeli troops and settlers, destroying what it described as 'terrorist infrastructure,' and maintaining a 'security zone' in southern Lebanon.

The statement came a day after Iran and the United States began negotiations in Switzerland under Pakistani and Qatari mediation. The high-level talks lasted 18 hours and discussed the implementation of commitments made under a Pakistan-mediated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Iranian and American presidents last week. The diplomatic process seeks to end the cycle arising from the latest American-Israeli aggression against Iran between February 28 and April 7, when US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire amid decisive Iranian retaliation. As part of the MoU, Iran has insisted on cessation of aggression on all fronts, including Lebanon. Following the signing of the memorandum, the United States said the Israeli regime had agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon.

The statement also comes while a fifth round of negotiations between the Beirut government and Israel is due to begin on Tuesday in Washington, according to Press TV. Ahead of the talks, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun discussed a 'deconfliction mechanism' for the country during a phone call with US Vice President JD Vance and the Qatari prime minister on Monday. The phone conversation focused on consolidating the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, according to the Lebanese presidency. Hezbollah has criticized the upcoming talks, calling for the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon.

According to Mehr News, the Israeli statement reaffirms its position on maintaining a military presence in southern Lebanon despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.