A permanent Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon would be “inconsistent” with the U.S.-backed framework agreement signed in June and with the long-term peace and security of the two Middle Eastern countries, according to a State Department official.
Israel’s Channel 12 and i24 reported the comments by a senior State Department official followed Defence Minister Israel Katz’s statement that Israel would not withdraw from southern Lebanon while Hezbollah remains disarmed.
“The United States expects all parties to act in a manner consistent with the Framework they agreed to, and Israel has clearly stated that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon,” the U.S. official said.
“A permanent military presence in southern Lebanon is inconsistent with the commitments set forth in the framework, or with the long-term peace and security of both countries,” the official added.
Following the U.S. rejection of his suggestion of long-term military presence in Lebanon, Katz observed that the Israeli withdrawal depended on complete disarmament of Hezbeollah.
The framework agreement establishes a conditions-based pathway under which Israeli forces will progressively redeploy from southern Lebanon, provided Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups are disarmed and their associated infrastructure is dismantled in a verifiable manner.
US Rejects Israel’s Push For Permanent Lebanon Occupation
The Trump administration has criticized Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz for pledging to maintain a permanent military footprint in southern Lebanon.https://t.co/Z5dxLdk2Ao
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 13, 2026
The framework does not provide for an immediate, unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces. Instead, it establishes a phased process in which Israeli redeployment is linked to verified disarmament and the Lebanese military’s assumption of security responsibility in designated areas.
Washington has also underscored its support for Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, while calling on all parties to implement the framework.
The Agreement Background
The current arrangement stems from a U.S.-brokered framework agreement signed on June 26. The agreement linked the progressive withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon to the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups by the Lebanese government. Hezbollah, which is not a party to the agreement, has rejected disarmament.
The deal followed months of cross-border fighting that intensified after the wider regional conflict expanded. Multiple rounds of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel have taken place under U.S. sponsorship, including negotiations in Rome that concluded on Aug. 6. The talks focused on implementing the framework, including the establishment of pilot zones, verification mechanisms and the sequencing of Israeli redeployment.
Recent Developments and Continued Violence
Despite the framework, Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon has continued. On Wednesday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) recorded 113 projectiles launched by the Israeli military, the highest number recorded since June 21.
🇮🇱🇱🇧 Firefighters and residents in southern Lebanon say the Israeli military is deliberately setting wildfires across the region.
They’re allegedly using flares, incendiary munitions, and white phosphorus to burn forests, olive groves, and farmland.
The head of civil defense in…
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 13, 2026
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that one person was killed and 12 wounded in an Israeli strike on Tebnine, while eight others were wounded in overnight strikes on Burj al-Shemali.
Lebanese officials have repeatedly said that continued Israeli military activity undermines the ceasefire and the conditions needed for implementation of the framework.
Lebanon Denies Agreement on Verification Force
A Lebanese official has denied a Reuters report claiming that Beirut had agreed with Israel on a shortlist of countries that could send troops to Lebanon to verify the disarmament of Hezbollah. The official said Lebanon was continuing discussions with Washington, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The official stressed that there was no such agreement and that Beirut remained in discussions with the United States. Reuters had reported on Aug. 7 that Lebanon and Israel had agreed to compile a shortlist of countries that could contribute to a verification mechanism. On Aug. 12, Reuters reported, citing three sources, that the countries under consideration included Britain, Italy, Switzerland and Indonesia.
A State Department official said earlier that U.S.-brokered meetings between Lebanon and Israel in Rome had discussed third-party verification of the Lebanese army’s clearance operations, but did not confirm any agreement on the countries involved.
Israel Denies Making Lebanon Unlivable
Meanwhile, Israel has denied allegations that it is pursuing a campaign to render Lebanon unlivable.
Instead, a military statement, said it is Hezbollah, which is making the Middle Eastern country unlivable.
Let’s set the record straight: the only ones who are making Lebanon “unlivable” are Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has embedded its terror under and within the homes of Lebanese civilians for years, claiming to protect them while serving the interests of the Iranian regime. They vowed to… https://t.co/aiAfawPHZy
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 13, 2026
Lebanese Leaders Discuss the Situation
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held talks on developments in southern Lebanon, where Israeli attacks have continued despite the framework agreement.
According to a post on the Lebanese presidency’s X account, Aoun received Salam for a meeting that addressed the Israeli attacks and the destruction of homes and infrastructure in towns and villages in the region. The two leaders also discussed the agenda of an upcoming Cabinet meeting and talks held a day earlier in Beirut with U.S. General Joseph Clearfield, who heads the U.S.-led military coordination mechanism overseeing implementation of the security arrangements in Lebanon.
Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
