No deal without total Israeli troop withdrawal: Lebanon PM
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rejected the idea of maintaining an Israeli-controlled buffer zone.
Lebanon will not agree to any deal that falls short of a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said ahead of today's (23 April) discussions in Washington, reports Al Jazeera.
Speaking to The Washington Post during a visit to Paris, where he also held talks with Emmanuel Macron, Salam rejected the idea of maintaining an Israeli-controlled buffer zone.
"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.
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Salam expressed confidence that the United States could play a decisive role in the negotiations, noting that Washington had been instrumental in securing the ceasefire and could again use its influence over Israel to help reach a resolution.
Addressing calls from Israel and Western countries to disarm Hezbollah, Salam described the issue as a gradual process rather than something that could be resolved immediately.
He also stressed that Lebanon's participation in the talks should not be viewed as a concession.
"I don't know what we can achieve through negotiation, but I know what we want."
