Lebanese President Joseph Aoun defended talks with Israel, saying they did not constitute betrayal but an attempt to achieve the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, Al Arabiya quoted him as saying.
"Negotiations with Israel are not "betrayal, but a diplomatic war without unnecessary bloodshed", Aoun was quoted as saying by the presidency. He stressed that Beirut had decided to start dialogue "to guarantee Israel's withdrawal from its territory" and added: "We will not give up an inch of Lebanese territory".
His statement came a day after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli army would remain "until further notice" in Israel's designated "security zones" in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
Last week, Lebanon signed a US-backed framework agreement with Israel aimed at securing peace between the two countries. The decision sparked massive protests by Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The framework agreement calls for the Lebanese army to gradually take control of southern Lebanon as Hezbollah disarms and Israel withdraws its forces. The document, however, does not set a deadline for implementation.
The latest conflict between the two countries began on March 2, after Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded with air strikes and a ground offensive that Lebanese authorities say has killed more than 4,200 people in Lebanon.
During a visit to a so-called "security zone" in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would remain there as long as Hezbollah continued to pose a threat.