Israel refuses to withdraw troops from buffer zone in southern Lebanon — defense minister

TEL AVIV, June 16. /TASS/. Israel will not withdraw its troops from the buffer zone in southern Lebanon under any circumstances, pressure or otherwise, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz pledged.

"We are not going to leave the security zone. This will spark a wave of international criticism, but we won't back down," he said at a ceremony marking the beginning of construction on a new Jewish settlement in the West Bank, as cited by the Ynet portal.

"In Lebanon, we have reached Beirut and beyond. We are blowing up tunnels and systematically eliminating terrorist facilities in villages near the border [with Israel]," he added.

Earlier, official representatives of the United States, Iran, and Pakistan, which acts as a go-between, confirmed that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement, which is expected to be inked in Geneva on June 19. According to the Iranian side, during a 60-day ceasefire the sides will discuss Iran’s nuclear program, while the US will lift its maritime blockade against Iran from June 15. Apart from that, military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, will cease immediately and permanently.