Israel issues new Lebanon occupation map, in talks with US over deployment

JERUSALEM, June 18 (Reuters) – Israel’s military published ​a map on Thursday showing an expanded zone of control for its troops in southern Lebanon, as Israeli officials told Reuters Israel ‌was holding talks with the U.S. over continuing its deployment.

An interim pact signed on Wednesday to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran calls for an end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and for parties to ensure “the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon.”

Israel has rejected calls to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, which it invaded in March in ​response to rocket fire by the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia. Israeli attacks and the destruction of villages have killed thousands and set off ​a displacement crisis.

Hezbollah has continued to launch attacks on Israeli positions in the south this week, including with explosive ⁠drones that have killed and injured troops.

Two Israeli officials, including a senior official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel was holding talks with ​the U.S. over maintaining its troop deployment in southern Lebanon. The senior official described those talks as “stubborn”.

The military, which in April published a map marking its ​so-called buffer zone in southern Lebanon, released a new map that shows its troops are operating several kilometres deeper into the country, including near the Hezbollah stronghold of Nabatieh north of the Litani River.

Israeli troops have been operating in some of those areas for several weeks, but the military had not yet published a map showing the expanded ​zone of control.

In the map published on Thursday, the military described the territory, marked in dark red, as: “The security zone in which IDF (Israel Defense ​Forces) soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon”.

Netanyahu and Donald Trump have repeatedly clashed in recent weeks as the U.S. president sought to extricate ‌himself from ⁠the war against Iran he jointly launched with his longtime Israeli ally.

Israeli officials have voiced anger with the U.S.-Iran pact, which the two signed on Wednesday, saying it didn’t go far enough to address Israeli concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and would tie down their military operations in Lebanon.

Trump has made no secret of his frustration with Netanyahu and has criticized Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, saying it was unnecessary to bomb entire apartment buildings to hunt ​Hezbollah militants.

The two Israeli officials, who spoke ​to Reuters on condition of ⁠anonymity to discuss sensitive talks with Washington, said Israel would not back down on its position that its troops would remain deployed in Lebanon.

One of the officials said the outcome of the talks would ultimately depend on whether ​Trump “decides to force the issue” by threatening repercussions if Israel does not abide by the interim pact’s terms.

There ​has been no indication ⁠that Trump’s commentary will translate into concrete actions — such as withholding military aid or slowing arms shipments — that could force Israel to rethink its military tactics.

Israel describes the territory it has seized in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria as “buffer zones” between it and its enemies, a core facet of Israel’s recent security policy.

The Iran war ⁠pact appeared ​to leave Israel with some “wiggle room”, said Jonathan Rynhold, a senior researcher at Israel’s Bar-Ilan ​University.

“The reference to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon certainly implies that Israel will have to withdraw,” he said.

“However, it also implies that Hezbollah should not be able to hold ​weapons because that is a threat to the sovereignty of the government of Lebanon.”