Israel expects President Trump to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday, adding that Israel will not withdraw from “safe zones” in Lebanon.
Mr Trump told reporters on Thursday that a An agreement had been reached and would likely be signed within days, although Tehran said it had “not yet reached a final conclusion” on the potential deal.
In a statement on Friday, Katz said that Mr. Trump was “advancing an agreement with Iran from the perspective of American interests, including the common interest with Israel – to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”
“We expect him to abide by this principle and other principles in the area of
Katz said in late March that a buffer zone would be established in southern Lebanon extending for miles north of the Israeli border and that Israel would retain control of the region even if its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah ends.
In May, Israel extended the “security zone” to about 25 miles north of the border. According to Lebanese authorities, more than a million people have been displaced.
Israel’s “intentional acts of displacement could amount to war crimes of forced displacement,” Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.
Israel’s war with Hezbollah has been a key sticking point in negotiations between the United States and Iran. Iran has demanded that any agreement to extend the ceasefire must include an end to fighting in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. The Trump administration has publicly tried to curb Israeli operations in Lebanon, but Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade blows.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Israeli attacks had killed 3,711 people in Lebanon as of Thursday, including 132 medical personnel and 247 children.
