Israeli strikes injure several in Lebanon as Israel Katz vows no withdrawal from occupied areas in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza

Several people were injured Wednesday in Israeli airstrikes and explosions in southern Lebanon, as Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces will not withdraw from “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria or the Gaza Strip. The attacks came amid continued Israeli violations of an agreement with Beirut that calls for a gradual withdrawal from Lebanese territory, despite international demands for Israel to end its military presence in occupied areas. In the Bint Jbeil district, an Israeli drone targeted a road in Kfara, causing several injuries, Lebanon’s National News Agency NNA reported. Israeli forces also carried out a major explosion in Haddatha, and an Israeli drone dropped explosives on the outskirts of Beit Yahoun, said NNA. In the Marjayoun district, Israeli forces carried out an airstrike near Deir Siriane, and explosions in the Wadi of Touline along the Wadi Saluki Road, according to NNA. In the Tyre district, Israeli warplanes struck Mansouri in two separate attacks, while an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade in the town, it added. Israeli drones also flew extensively at very low altitude above Beirut, reaching the southern suburbs of the capital, NNA reported. Katz vows to stay Katz made his remarks in a recorded statement from an area in southern Lebanon that is occupied by Israeli forces. “Just as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have made clear, we will not withdraw from this security zone,” Katz said, describing the area as extending from the Mediterranean coast in the west to Beaufort Castle and the approaches to Mount Hermon in the east. “We will not move from here and we will not withdraw,” he said. “We will secure this area and ensure the security of residents in the north.” Katz said Israel will not withdraw “under any circumstances from the security zones in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.” He claimed Israeli forces are deployed in the area to protect northern Israeli communities and their troops, alleging that the military defeated Hezbollah and seized Beaufort Castle, which he said protects Metula and other northern communities. Under US sponsorship, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a framework agreement on June 26 that calls for Israel’s gradual withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah. Israel continues its offensive against Lebanon, which began March 2, killing 4,335 victims, injuring 12,277 and displacing more than 1 million residents, according to Lebanese authorities. In Lebanon, the occupied area refers to territory under Israeli military control in the south, extending up to about 10 kilometers (6 miles) in some areas. In Syria, the areas include territory seized by Israel following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, including the buffer zone established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, as well as strategic positions and hills in Quneitra and Daraa and around Mount Hermon. In Gaza, the areas include buffer zones established by the Israeli military, which, according to Israeli estimates, constitute an area ranging from 50% to 70% of the Strip's area. Despite last October’s ceasefire, Israel keeps violating the deal in Gaza, killing 1,259 Palestinians and wounding 4,148, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry figures that were released Wednesday. The ceasefire was reached to halt Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which began Oct. 8, 2023, and has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and wounded over 174,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian authorities.​​​​​​​ The war has also caused widespread destruction in the enclave, damaging about 90% of the civilian infrastructure, with the UN estimating reconstruction costs at about $70 billion.