US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Israel should not maintain a permanent buffer zone within Lebanese territory, while the Lebanese army have to disarm the Iran-backed group, according to Al Arabiya.
“Israel has no territorial claims on Lebanon. There isn’t some part of Lebanon that Israel claims belongs to them,” Rubio said.
He further noted that Israel’s conflict is not with the Lebanese state itself, but with Hezbollah.
Rubio’s remarks followed two rounds of ambassador-level talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington.
described the talks as “very successful,” but stopped short of suggesting that Beirut would join the Abraham Accords in the near term.
“I mean, obviously that would be very promising, but we’re not at that point.”
“I think if you ask the Israelis, they would tell you the perfect outcome is a strong Lebanese Government with a strong Lebanese Armed Forces who is able to dismantle Hezbollah, to prevent them from these attacks and ultimately to make sure that they don’t exist anymore as a military unit,” Rubio added.
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Lebanon Involvement
On March 2, Lebanon was drawn into the conflict only when Hezbollah launched a series of attacks to support its ally, Tehran.
As a result, Israel has launched an extensive military campaign that has since killed more than 2,000 people.
Fragile Ceasefire
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire after hosting the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors at the White House.
Despite the fact that the ceasefire has significantly reduced hostilities, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to trade blows in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces remain deployed within a self-declared “buffer zone,” maintaining an active military presence along the frontier.
On Friday, the Lebanese Health Ministry announced that the Israeli strikes killed six people in an obvious violation to the ongoing ceasefire.
The ministry noted that fatalities were spread across southern Lebanon, with two people killed in Wadi al-Hujair, two in Touline, and one each in Srifa and Yater.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, also unveiled on Friday that an Indonesian peacekeeper had died in hospital from wounds suffered in a March 29 attack on his base.
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Israeli Strikes Kill Six in South Lebanon Despite Ongoing Ceasefire
Lebanon to Press for Ceasefire Renewal at Washington Meeting
Trump Announces 10-Day Ceasefire between Lebanon, Israel
