Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Monday that the Lebanese government must first ensure Israel complies with a November 27 ceasefire agreement before talks on a national defence strategy can take place, reaffirming the Iran-backed group’s refusal to disarm.
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“Israel may occupy but we will confront it to prevent it from settling and achieving its goals, and this confrontation will continue,” said Qassem.
“If this government continues in its current form, it cannot be trusted to safeguard Lebanon’s safety.”
Israel on Monday signalled it would scale back its military presence in southern Lebanon if the Lebanese armed forces took action to disarm the Shiite militant group.
The announcement from the Israeli prime minister’s office came a day after Benjamin Netanyahu met US envoy Tom Barrack, who has been heavily involved in a plan that would disarm Hezbollah and withdraw Israeli forces from Lebanon.
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“If the Lebanese Armed Forces take the necessary steps to implement the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction” by the Israeli military, the Israeli prime minister’s office said.
The statement did not explicitly say if Israeli forces would fully withdraw from the five positions they hold in Lebanon.