Netanyahu’s Stance on Lebanon Challenges US-Iran Pact
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the military “will not leave” southern Lebanon as long as the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah remains a threat to Israel. Speaking during a visit to troops in the region on Tuesday, Netanyahu’s comments were echoed a day earlier by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who said the military would not withdraw “a millimetre” until Hezbollah is disarmed.
The Israeli stance is squarely at odds with the first clause of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which provides for an immediate, permanent halt to fighting on “all fronts,” including in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have occupied approximately one-fifth of the country since early March. The MoU also calls for ensuring Lebanon’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
That provision has since been undercut by a separate US-brokered framework agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government, which does not require Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon or halt attacks — a deal Hezbollah has denounced. The result has been an entrenchment of Israel’s military presence in Lebanon, even as strikes have eased to avoid reigniting direct conflict with Iran.
France Calls for Halt to Hostilities
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Friday that Israel must stop its hostilities in Lebanon and that the United States must put pressure on Israel. Speaking to French broadcaster franceinfo, Barrot said France was still working to hold an international conference to mobilise support for the Lebanese army.
His remarks came after Israel said on Thursday it would not rule out carrying out attacks beyond a military control zone in southern Lebanon, in a direct challenge to the terms of the US-Iran pact. Israel’s military said on Friday its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight, as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported at least 16 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, which the Israeli military said were ongoing.
Netanyahu’s Political Calculus
Behind Netanyahu’s combative language is an embattled prime minister managing a difficult balancing act, according to Cyrus Schayegh, professor of international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute, speaking to Al Jazeera. On the one hand, domestic politics has made Netanyahu reluctant to be seen as backing down from the war with Hezbollah, which began firing rockets into northern Israel soon after the first US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28.
Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, has refused to withdraw, saying Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon until the threat from Hezbollah has been eliminated. The continued fighting in Lebanon could unravel the newly signed deal, which calls for an immediate halt to military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
The open question remains whether Israel’s position is bluster for a domestic audience or a hard line that could unravel the fragile MoU.