Full story
Katz rejects withdrawal
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military will not withdraw from what he termed “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, speaking in a video statement delivered from an area occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon near the Litani River.
“we are not withdrawing from this security zone, and I am standing here in the very heart of it”
Katz said he was “standing here in the very heart of it,” and he described the self-declared security zone as stretching “from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to Beaufort Castle and the approaches of Mount Hermon in the east.”
The remarks came as the Trump administration criticized Katz’s comments as inconsistent with a framework deal agreed to by Israel and Lebanon, with a U.S. State Department official saying the framework does not include a long-term or permanent Israeli presence in south Lebanon.
In the same dispute, the U.S. official said “a permanent military presence in South Lebanon is not consistent with the commitments made in the framework or the long-term peace and security of both states,” while Katz insisted “Under no circumstances do we retreat.”
US rebuke and framework
The U.S. response to Katz’s plan for a long-term presence in southern Lebanon came as Washington clarified that “a permanent military presence in southern Lebanon is inconsistent with the commitments” made under the understandings.
A U.S. State Department official told i24NEWS that “The United States expects all parties to act in a manner consistent with the framework they agreed to,” adding that Israel “has made it clear that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.”
The framework, as described by the U.S. official, includes a “conditions-based path for progressive redeployment tied to verified disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantling of its infrastructure,” and the Lebanese Armed Forces are implementing the first pilot zones.
Katz, speaking during a visit to Israeli troops deployed in villages near the Lebanese border, said “As the Prime Minister and I have explicitly stated, we are not withdrawing from this security zone,” and he instructed the IDF “to take all the necessary steps to prepare for a long-term presence in the area.”
What’s at stake next
Katz’s insistence on staying in the “security zones” is framed by multiple outlets as directly challenging the June 26 framework agreement that calls for Israel’s gradual withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.
“Under US sponsorship, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a framework agreement on June 26”
Anadolu Ajansı reported that under the framework agreement signed on June 26, Israel’s gradual withdrawal is tied to the disarmament of armed groups, while Katz said from an occupied area in southern Lebanon that “we will not withdraw from this security zone,” and he described it as extending from the Mediterranean coast to Beaufort Castle and the approaches of Mount Hermon.
The same Anadolu Ajansı report said Israeli strikes and explosions injured several people in southern Lebanon as Katz vowed no withdrawal, including injuries after an Israeli drone targeted a road in Kfara in the Bint Jbeil district.
In parallel, the U.S. position described by Naharnet and i24NEWS emphasizes that the framework does not include a long-term or permanent Israeli presence in south Lebanon, while Katz’s statements insist the IDF will remain in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza to protect northern communities and troops.
