Katz challenges Trump: 'We will not leave the security zone'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF will not leave security zones in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Syria until Hezbollah is disarmed. The statement came amid criticism from the Trump administration, which considers a permanent presence incompatible with agreements. Katz visited the security zone, mentioning the capture of Beaufort Castle and the destruction of tunnels.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF does not intend to leave security zones in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Syria. His statement came amid criticism from the administration of Donald Trump, which considers the permanent Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon incompatible with the agreements reached. This is reported by Maariv. On Thursday morning, Katz took part in a ceremony marking the return to the settlement of Ganim together with the head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, and other settlement leaders. In his speech, the minister also did not condemn the actions of far-right activists in the village of Qusra. Katz spoke about his trip to the security zone in southern Lebanon. "Yesterday I visited the security zone in Lebanon, met with excellent commanders and heroic conscripts and reservists, saw Beaufort Castle, which the Golani Brigade recaptured after 44 years and raised the Israeli flag and the Golani flag there," the minister said. According to him, during the trip he also saw destroyed tunnels that Israel claims were built by Hezbollah and Iran for attacks on Israeli communities. Katz said that a few days ago the tunnels were destroyed using 700 tons of explosives. "I saw the houses of dozens of villages—Lebanese border villages that were destroyed and turned into ruins. Here they are being built, there they are destroyed, because all of them were Hezbollah strongholds that repeatedly attacked our settlements, our citizens, and threatened them," the minister said. "Once and for all, we have eliminated this threat." According to Katz, the IDF now controls about 700 square kilometers of the security zone in Lebanon. It extends from the maritime area in the west to Beaufort and the outskirts of Mount Hermon in the east. The minister said the territory is uninhabited, and Israeli soldiers are inside it, while the ground and underground terrorist infrastructure, in his words, has been destroyed. Katz also said that Israel's current security concept is based on achieving a decisive victory and eliminating threats, not on deterrence and temporary agreements. He linked this policy to the lessons of October 7 and stressed that the IDF protects Israel's borders and communities in Syria, the Gaza Strip, and Lebanon from threats from jihadist organizations. "As I said yesterday during my visit there, we will not leave the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the threat from Hezbollah is eliminated throughout Lebanon," Katz said. The minister stressed that Israel intends to adhere to this position both in negotiations with the American leadership and in practice. "I have ordered the IDF to prepare for a long-term presence on the ground to protect soldiers and communities until this goal is fully achieved," he said. Katz added that Israel has guaranteed the safety of residents of the north of the country and intends to continue fulfilling this commitment. Meanwhile, on Thursday night, the administration of Donald Trump sharply criticized Katz's statement about Israel's intention to maintain a military presence in southern Lebanon. The American administration said the minister's words completely contradict Jerusalem's assurances that it has no territorial ambitions regarding the neighboring country. "The United States expects all parties to act in accordance with the framework of the agreement they reached, and Israel has clearly stated that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon," a State Department spokesperson told reporters. He also stressed: "A permanent presence of Israeli armed forces in southern Lebanon is not consistent with the commitments enshrined in the agreement and does not serve the long-term interests of peace and security of both countries." At the same time, the State Department spokesperson did not name Katz. The statement was made in response to journalists' questions and concerned specifically his words about maintaining the Israeli presence in Lebanon.