Israeli soldiers in Lebanon are free to take action if under threat, Israel's Katz says

JERUSALEM, June 21 - Israeli soldiers are free to act without restriction to eliminate threats in Lebanon, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday, adding troops remained in position in what Israel refers to as a security zone.

A ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah took effect on Friday after months of escalating violence, but on Saturday Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Lebanon, Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported.

Israel said the strikes were a response to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group at its troops in southern Lebanon, prompting attacks on what an Israeli official described as "Hezbollah targets".

Iranian officials have said Lebanon is the focal point for Sunday's peace talks with the United States in Switzerland after Washington and Tehran signed a framework to halt the war between them that began at the end of February, escalating tension across the region.

The Israeli military invaded parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah maintains it has the right to fight Israeli forces in Lebanon, but would halt attacks on northern Israel.

Katz said Israeli troops would remain in all positions in what it calls a security zone, which extends about 10 km (6 miles) into southern Lebanon.

Israel says that is to protect northern Israeli communities.

"All of the IDF's achievements in the campaign in Lebanon are being preserved, with our forces deployed in the security zone along the Yellow Line in Lebanon and operating from there inward against terrorists and terrorist infrastructures," he said in Sunday's statement. REUTERS