Israel: Our troops are free to act in Lebanon

Israeli troops operating in southern Lebanon are free to take action to eliminate threats, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said, as tensions remain high despite a ceasefire reached two days earlier, overshadowing talks between American and Iranian negotiators in Switzerland.

Katz said on June 21 that the troops remain in position in what Israel calls the security zone, which stretches about 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon. He said protecting Israeli soldiers and civilians “is the highest and unlimited priority”.

Lebanon considers this Israeli zone to be an occupation under international law.

“All the achievements of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] in the campaign in Lebanon are being preserved, with our forces deployed in the security zone along the Yellow Line in Lebanon and operating from there against terrorists and terrorist infrastructure,” Katz said in a statement.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on June 19. Hezbollah — which is backed by Iran — is a militant group and political party that controls most of southern Lebanon. The group is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union has blacklisted its military wing, but not its political party.

The ceasefire came after months of escalating cross-border violence. However, Israeli airstrikes have killed dozens of people in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect, according to Lebanese officials.

Israel said the strikes were in response to projectiles fired at its troops in the south, and an Israeli official said Hezbollah positions were targeted during the attacks. A Hezbollah official told Reuters that the group remains committed to the ceasefire as long as Israel does the same, adding that Israeli forces do not have freedom of movement in southern Lebanon.

The official said Hezbollah has not carried out attacks on Israeli troops since 18:30 local time on June 20. Security sources told Reuters that Israel has also not carried out any major attack since then, marking the longest period of calm since the fighting erupted on March 2. Iranian officials said Lebanon will be the focal point of the talks in Switzerland, following the reaching of a framework agreement aimed at stopping the wider conflict that erupted at the end of February./REL