Israel: No troop withdrawal timeframe from Lebanon, Gaza

Israel has said that it had set no timetable for withdrawing its forces from Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, as Israeli and Lebanese officials engaged in US-brokered talks in Washington.

The Israeli military has launched widespread airstrikes in Lebanon and sent troops into the country's south after Hezbollah, the powerful militia backed by Iran, entered the Middle East war on the side of its patron in March.

"We must remain in the security zone in Lebanon, in Syria and in Gaza, and not for a limited time, in order to defend our residents and communities from there against jihadist elements," Defence Minister Israel Katz said at a graduation ceremony at a military academy.

"We oppose the withdrawal of IDF forces from the security zone in Lebanon, despite all the pressures that exist and those still to come," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the same event that troops would remain in south Lebanon "as long as necessary".

"I have made it clear to the IDF: you have full freedom of action," he said.

Earlier, government spokesperson David Mencer told journalists that "we will not withdraw our forces from southern Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains a threat, are not disarmed and are not demilitarised".

A new ceasefire was declared in Lebanon after Israeli strikes there threatened to derail talks between the United States and Iran to end the wider Middle East war.

While the fighting has diminished significantly in recent days, sporadic attacks have continued.

'Flagrant' truce breach

Iran-backed Hezbollah accused Israel of a "flagrant" ceasefire breach, saying it launched a drone and killed three civilians in southern Lebanon.

The group said the strike was a "direct attack" on "civilians", while Israel had earlier said it had killed fighters from Hezbollah ranks.

Hezbollah said it was the third "flagrant violation" by Israel "of the ceasefire to which it has committed itself so far".

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency earlier said "three people were killed and one person was wounded when an enemy drone targeted a ... vehicle on the road between Zawtar and Mayfadoun".

It was the third deadly incident since Tuesday, bringing the number of people killed in Israeli attacks this week to at least seven.

The Israeli army later said that its soldiers "identified five Hezbollah terrorists who posed a threat to them" in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.

In a another incident, it added, they "identified an armed Hezbollah terrorist" around the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge.

"Following the identifications, the Israeli Air Force and the ground forces fired toward the terrorists and eliminated them to remove the threat," it said.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on 2 March with rocket fire at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground offensive that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,100 people.

A new ceasefire was declared in Lebanon after Israeli attacks there threatened to derail talks between the United States and Iran to end the wider Middle East war.

While the fighting has diminished significantly in recent days, it has not abated completely.

Under US pressure, Lebanese officials began direct talks in April with Israel in Washington.

The latest three-day round of talks was due to wrap up today.

Commenting on the negotiations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two neighbours were close to making a "commitment of intent".

Asked about the talks, Mr Mencer said Israel had made it clear that it "will not allow any terrorist force anywhere near our border - which means that any redeployment of IDF forces comes after, not before, but after the demilitarisation of southern Lebanon and the disarming of Hezbollah".

"We've already been in this situation in 2024," he said, adding "Hezbollah were supposed to be disarmed. They weren't".

Mr Mencer's comments come as senior Israeli and Lebanese officials were moved to deny that there had been ⁠any Israeli withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanon after a US official said Israel had pulled some troops back in a good faith gesture toward Lebanon's government.

The official said that "Israel has already taken a concrete step by pulling back from a part of its buffer zone".

The so-called buffer zone is a vast area of southern Lebanon that Israeli forces are occupying north of the Israeli border.

The official described the move as "a significant demonstration ‌of good faith toward Lebanon's legitimate government".

A senior Israeli defence official denied there had been any kind of pullback or withdrawal by Israeli forces and said Israel would not be withdrawing from its buffer zone.

The talks on handing over Lebanese territory to the Lebanese army were for a few areas outside the buffer zone, not within it, the senior Israeli official said.

A senior Lebanese military official said developments on the ground in recent days "show the opposite of a pullback".

Israel has been enforcing ‌its buffer zone against anyone approaching, including the Lebanese army, the official said.

Israel's military said in a statement there had been no change in the location of its soldiers in the zone.

Israel has established what it describes as a buffer ⁠zone about 10km into Lebanon from the Israeli border.

Its military has forced the local Lebanese population from their homes and carried out raids on ‌villages, destroying buildings.

Israeli officials say the area is supposed to protect communities in Israel's north from Hezbollah attacks.

It says ⁠it has found Hezbollah weapons. ‌

Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the military would not be withdrawing from the area.