Lebanese PM says no deal with Israel without troop withdrawal

Lebanon's prime minister has warned there will be no agreement between his country and Israel unless the latter withdraws its forces from the south.

Speaking to the Washington Post in France, Nawaf Salam said Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon was non-negotiable.

“We cannot live with a so-called buffer zone, an Israeli presence where Lebanese displaced people are not allowed to return, where destroyed villages and towns cannot be rebuilt,” he said.

“We are entering these negotiations convinced that the US is the party that can have leverage over Israel. Their role was critical in reaching the ceasefire, and we hope they will continue exercising their leverage over Israel.”