(L/R) Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, State Department Chief of Staff Daniel Holler, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh attend a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese delegations hosted by the United States at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. (Credit: Oliver Contreras/AFP)
Israel will continue its military operations on the ground in southern Lebanon, where it occupies most of the area and is advancing towards the Litani River, and Lebanese residents forced from their homes by Israel are not allowed to return, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.
His comments came a day after Lebanon and Israel said they had agreed to implement a cease-fire during talks in Washington. The deal is contingent on a cessation of fire from Hezbollah.
In a statement, Katz said troops would remain in its so-called security zone in southern Lebanon, including in the area of Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old fortress captured by Israel on Saturday.
He said Israel would continue to "dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area" while Israel had "freedom of action, backed by the United States, to strike in Beirut in response to attacks on Israeli communities and territory."
Lebanon and Israel agreed on Wednesday to a new U.S.-backed cease-fire in Lebanon. They had previously agreed to a cessation of hostilities in April that was then extended in May, but daily Israeli attacks and its occupation of south Lebanon have continued.
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