US-Iran peace deal demands Israel withdraw from Lebanon to respect ‘territorial integrity’
Israel would be forced to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon as part of the US-Iran peace deal signed on Sunday, the full text of the agreement has revealed.
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After days of speculation and back-and-forth attacks between Israel and Hezbollah, US officials confirmed the details of the memorandum of understanding on Tuesday, which appeared to tilt in favor of Iran and its terror proxy.
The text states that Lebanon’s territory and sovereignty must be respected by all parties involved, which would mean Israel would be forced to pull its forces out of southern Lebanon after pushing the furthest they have since the 2006 war.
“The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU, declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon,” the agreement reads.
“The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and other provisions of this paragraph,” it added.
The terms are in stark opposition to Israel’s position that it would not withdraw from Lebanon, with Israel’s Ministry of Defense vowing earlier this week that its forces would remain in Syria and Gaza as well.
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Follow The Post’s coverage on the latest in the peace deal with Iran:
- Details of US-Iran deal revealed in 12-point plan — timeline for US withdrawal, $300B fund, Hormuz passage
- Trump says he ‘never cared’ about Iran regime change, claims new leaders are ‘not radicalized’
- Vance says Iran won’t get $300B reconstruction fund ‘unless they totally transform themselves’
- Trump will allow Iran to sell its oil under deal — giving financial boost to Tehran’s regime
“We will not compromise on Israel’s security interests and the protection of our citizens, and we will not withdraw from the security zones,” Katz said.
The terms had already received heavy backlash from Israel’s leadership, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appearing to distance himself from it on Monday and calling it “Trump’s decision.”
It remains to be seen if Israel will confine itself to the deal, with the Jewish state launching fresh attacks on Wednesday against Hezbollah targets.
Israel’s withdrawal would notably serve as a major relief to Hezbollah, whose leadership and ground forces have been devastated by nearly three years of war.
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