WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Israel has no territorial claims on Lebanon, while reiterating Washington’s position that the Lebanese military and government should exercise greater control over the country’s territory.
Speaking in response to a question about whether the United States would support an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Rubio said Israel’s presence in the area was linked to attacks launched by Hezbollah. According to him, Israel has maintained that it remains in Lebanon because Hezbollah continues to fire rockets and drones from Lebanese territory.
Rubio stressed that the United States wants the Lebanese state and armed forces to strengthen their authority across the country. He argued that as more territory comes under the control of the Lebanese military and less remains under Hezbollah’s influence, there would be less justification for an Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon.
The top US diplomat also asserted that Israel does not seek to claim any Lebanese land, stating that Washington’s objective is to see the Lebanese government assume greater responsibility for securing its territory.
However, Rubio’s remarks come amid ongoing Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have publicly indicated that Israel does not intend to withdraw from the area and has continued carrying out attacks despite provisions in the US-Iran agreement that called for an end to the conflict on all fronts.
Adding to the uncertainty over a potential withdrawal, Israel’s defence minister recently stated that Washington had not requested that Israel remove its troops from southern Lebanon, suggesting that no immediate change in the military deployment is expected.