Israel Insists on Troops in Southern Lebanon

LEBANON – Israel’s defense minister said Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, highlighting a hurdle to Iran-U.S. peace talks.

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, have repeatedly said they will not pull troops out of southern Lebanon, where they say they have created a security zone to protect residents of northern Israel.

Israel has been battling Hezbollah in Lebanon since early March after the militant group attacked Israel in support of Iran, and Tehran has made a cessation of hostilities there a central tenet of its demands in any peace deal with the United States.