'Not leaving': Netanyahu says Israeli forces to stay in Lebanon as 10-day ceasefire begins

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu connected Thursday said that Israeli forces volition proceed to stay successful confederate Lebanon during the ongoing 10-day ceasefire, stating "we are not leaving".In a video connection issued aft US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire, Netanyahu said, "We volition stay successful a 10-kilometre information zone, which volition let america to forestall infiltration into communities and anti-tank rocket fire.

" He asserted that Israel would not standard backmost its presence, describing the existent deployment arsenic stronger than erstwhile arrangements. "We are remaining successful Lebanon successful an expanded information zone," Netanyahu said, adding that the country is "much stronger, overmuch much powerful, acold much continuous, and acold much coagulated than what we had before." "That is wherever we volition remain. We are not leaving," helium added.

Netanyahu said the ceasefire is intended to alteration continued diplomatic engagement with Lebanon, adjacent arsenic tensions persist on the border.Outlining Israel’s position, helium said, "In the talks, we person 2 demands: the disarmament of Hezbollah (and) a sustainable bid statement - from a presumption of strength." He besides revealed that Trump had invited him and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun for talks successful Washington, though Aoun had earlier declined to articulation a telephone telephone with Netanyahu amid ongoing Israeli strikes.Meanwhile, Trump described efforts to broker bid betwixt Israel and Lebanon arsenic "very exciting," indicating a imaginable diplomatic breakthrough.

"It’s precise exciting. With Lebanon, it’s precise exciting. I deliberation we’re going to person a deal. We’re going to person a gathering archetypal clip successful 44 years and Lebanon volition beryllium gathering with Israel and they’re astir apt going to bash it astatine the White House," helium said.He added that helium had precocious spoken to some leaders and expressed assurance astir the ceasefire holding. "We’re going to beryllium gathering with Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon.

I had a large speech with some of them today. They’re going to beryllium having a ceasefire and that’ll see Hezbollah..." the US president said.On the timeline, Trump said the gathering could instrumentality spot soon. "Over the adjacent week oregon two," helium said."I deliberation we volition person an statement betwixt Lebanon, and they’re going to instrumentality attraction of Hezbollah. But they’re going to beryllium moving connected Hezbollah close now, but we’ll person an statement betwixt Israel, precise importantly, and Lebanon," helium added.The remarks travel aft Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire pursuing intensive US-led diplomatic efforts.