Ben Gvir rejects ceasefire as Israel, Lebanon negotiate
New: A fifth round of talks opened in Washington as Beirut pressed for an Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejected a ceasefire with Lebanon amid talks between the two sides in Washington. In comments to Israeli public television KAN on Monday (22/6), Ben Gvir urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to tell US President Donald Trump that Israel cannot agree to a halt in hostilities in Lebanon. At the same time, the fifth round of Israel-Lebanon talks began on Tuesday (23/6). The Beirut delegation demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, while Israel sought guarantees that the Lebanese Army could destroy Hizbullah infrastructure. The main dispute centers on the mechanism for withdrawing troops and deploying Lebanese soldiers in the strategic Ali al-Taher area.