Katz during occupied Lebanese villages tour: 'We will not withdraw'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz traveled to southern Lebanon on Wednesday, reaffirming his determination to keep troops in an area where they occupy more than 600 square kilometers of Lebanese territory, as well as in Syria and Gaza. Ordering the Israeli army to prepare, on both administrative and operational levels, for a long-term presence in Lebanon, the Israeli minister assured that Israel would "in no case" withdraw from the "security zones."

"As the prime minister and I have clearly stated, we are not withdrawing from this security zone" — the term Israel uses for the strip of territory it occupies — Katz said, as quoted by his office. "The army is here to protect the northern communities" of Israel "and its own forces. We will clear this area ... We will not withdraw under any circumstances from the security zones: not in Lebanon, not in Syria, not in Gaza," he insisted during a visit to Israeli soldiers in Lebanese villages along the border with Israel, dozens of which are occupied and demolished.

He asked the army to prepare to remain in these areas for the long term, while continuing the destruction of "all the houses" and what he characterizes as "terrorist infrastructure." "Here we see the Beaufort ridge, after the destruction of the tunnels that were there," Katz declared. Large-scale explosions had been carried out below the Crusader castle of Beaufort about 10 days ago, with Israeli forces deployed and continuing operations along a strip about 10 kilometers inside the neighboring country, along the border.

Israel and Lebanon, still technically in a state of war, signed a framework agreement at the end of June that provides for the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the South, starting with so-called "pilot zones" that Israel is supposed to evacuate contingent upon the disarmament of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah. The party rejects this agreement and refuses to lay down its arms. Despite a cease-fire in place since June, Israel continues to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon.

According to a U.S. State Department official, the United States will organize a new round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in early September in Rome, with the aim of ending hostilities between the two countries. Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into war in the Middle East in March by firing rockets at Israel in support of its Iranian sponsor. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion in the South, which have left more than 4,300 dead, according to Beirut.

In Gaza, where a fragile cease-fire has been in effect since October 2025, Israeli forces occupy more than 60% of the small, overcrowded territory. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a U.S. roadmap calling for the disarmament of Hamas and eventually the withdrawal of Israeli forces, ruling out the departure of his troops "as long as Hamas is not truly disarmed."