Lebanon-Israel Deal Lets Troops Stay 6 Miles In, Risking New Civil War
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 2
Lebanon-Israel Deal Lets Troops Stay 6 Miles In, Risking New Civil War
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 2
Summary
Friday’s White House-brokered deal lets Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah disarms and the Lebanese army takes control, despite Hezbollah being excluded from the talks.
Hezbollah has warned the accord could trigger civil war and vowed to block it “by any means necessary,” while supporters staged a motorcycle show of force in Beirut.
Israel already holds a buffer zone up to six miles inside Lebanon and says it will not withdraw while Hezbollah remains armed, making the deal’s core condition hard to meet.
Trump backed the arrangement after a June 17 Iran memorandum called for an Israeli pullout, creating a clash with Tehran as U.S.-Iran talks in Qatar stall and intermittent strikes continue.
Lebanon’s fighting since March has killed 4,000 and injured 12,000, and analysts warn the deal could instead produce army fragmentation, renewed Israel-Hezbollah combat or an open-ended Israeli presence.