Lebanese Speaker Warns of Resistance if Israel Stays in South

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri warned on Tuesday that Israeli forces occupying parts of southern Lebanon would face daily resistance if they fail to withdraw, raising concerns about the fragility of a U.S.-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect last Thursday.

The 10-day truce, announced on April 16 by U.S. President Donald Trump following phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, has largely held despite ongoing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. Israeli troops remain deployed in a 5-to-10-kilometer-deep strip of territory running the length of the frontier, which Israel describes as a forward defense line to protect northern communities from Hezbollah attacks. The Israeli military has issued maps marking this zone in red, warning Lebanese residents not to return to over 50 border villages or approach the Litani River area, citing risks from continued militant activity.

Berri, a key Shiite leader and ally of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria that Lebanon would not cede any territory. "If Israel maintains its occupation, whether of areas,...