Netanyahu vows to hold southern Lebanon as rift with Trump widens

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon until the Hezbollah threat is eliminated, defying U.S.-backed plans for a phased withdrawal and opening an unusually public rift with President Trump. Lebanese and Israeli negotiators are still expected to meet in Rome next week, with Beirut saying it plans to attend.

Why this matters. The Lebanon track is the MOU's weakest seam: Netanyahu's refusal to leave and his open split with Trump threaten the all-fronts logic of the deal even as the Rome talks try to keep a withdrawal timetable alive.