Report: US will not guarantee halt to Israeli strikes in Lebanon under potential deal

Nurit Yohanan is The Times of Israel's Palestinian and Arab world correspondent

The United States has indicated that any agreement between Israel and Lebanon will not include a firm American guarantee to halt Israeli strikes deep inside Lebanese territory, the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reports, citing Egyptian sources.

According to the report, this is because Israel “reserves the right to defend itself” against what it views as threats within Lebanon, including Hezbollah military activity, training, weapons transfers, and targeted killings of its leaders.

Israel reportedly considers all of the above to be legitimate targets unless the Lebanese state acts to address them.

The report adds that in recent days, there has been contact between Cairo and Beirut, during which the sides discussed the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, with Egyptian officials conveying advice and warnings regarding the next stage of talks.

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