Israel will not retreat back to international border with Lebanon: Netanyahu

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his troops will not retreat from southern Lebanon to the international border, stating that they will remain in a “reinforced security buffer zone”.

This comes after the announcement of a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Beirut, announced by US President Donald Trump earlier this evening.

“We have two fundamental demands for these peace talks: First, the disarmament of Hezbollah. Second, a sustainable peace agreement, peace through strength,” Netanyahu has said in a video statement.

“To achieve this ceasefire, Hezbollah insisted on two conditions: First, that Israel must withdraw from all Lebanese territory, back to the international border. Second, a ceasefire based on the ‘quiet for quiet’ model,” he adds.

“I agreed to neither of these, and indeed, those two conditions are not being met.”

Netanyahu adds that Israeli troops will remain within a security buffer which starts at the sea and continues to Mount Dov and the foothills of Mt Hermon, up to the Syrian border.

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