Israeli Defense Chief: "No Withdrawal from Lebanon... Will Strike If Attacked by Iran"

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that the Israeli military will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire announcement, which reportedly includes an end to hostilities with Hezbollah.

On June 15 (local time), Minister Katz emphasized in a statement, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are leading a clear policy in which the Israeli military will remain indefinitely in security zones (buffer zones) in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza to protect our borders and citizens from Islamic extremist forces."

Israel's Benny Gantz, Israeli Minister of Defense. Photo by AP Yonhap News

He further explained, "Within these security zones, we will evacuate local residents and destroy all terrorist infrastructure, both above and below ground, including houses in border villages that have been used as terrorist outposts."

He cited the securing of the security zones as one of the Israeli military’s greatest achievements in the current war. Minister Katz stressed, "We oppose the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, regardless of the current or future pressures that may be exerted on us."

He added, "Prime Minister Netanyahu has clearly conveyed this stance to U.S. President Donald Trump and other senior American officials, and I also made this position clear to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth yesterday."

Additionally, he warned, "If Iran uses the situation in Lebanon as a pretext to attack Israel, we will strike Iran with our full force," adding, "Our commitment is solely to the national security of Israel and our citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.